Fighting for TAFE

AdvocateJournal of the National Tertiary Education Union

Volume 19, Number 2, July 2012 ISSN 1329-7295 Representing Employees in Higher Education, TAFE, Adult Education, RACGP, Research Institutes and University Companies Fighting for TAFE

Annual Tax Guide inside!

PLUS: AUR archive project NTEU sets WA Libraries Forum agenda for Fighting cuts at ANU and Sydney Improving gender equity at work next round RMIT tells staff: Be happy, or else! of university Inquiry into international student education NTEU revitalising Bluestocking Week bargaining

AdvocateJOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION UNION Advocate Publisher...... Grahame McCulloch is published by National Tertiary Education Union Editor...... Jeannie Rea VOLUME 19, NUMBER 2, JULY 2012 ISSN 1329-7295 ISSN 1321-8476 ABN 38 579 396 344 Production...... Paul Clifton PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia Editorial Assistance...... Anastasia Kotaidis ph: 03 9254 1910 Feedback and advertising...... [email protected] fax: 03 9254 1915 All text & images © NTEU 2012 unless otherwise stated. email: [email protected]

In accordance with NTEU policy to reduce our impact on the natural environment, this magazine is printed on Behaviour–a 30% recycled stock, manufactured by a PEFC Certified mill, which is ECF Certified Chlorine Free. On the cover: Advocate is also available online (e-book and PDF) at www.nteu.org.au/advocate NTEU flags and signs adorn a statue at the TAFE4ALL NTEU members may opt for ‘soft delivery’ (email notification rather than printed copy) rally outside State Treasury, Melbourne, 10 May 2012 for all NTEU magazines. Login to the members’ area at www.nteu.org.au to access your membership details. Photo: Justin Westgate

REGULAR FEATURES SPECIAL FEATURES FROM THE OFFICERS CAMPAIGNS 2 Strengthening the chain: precarious workers and unions  14 Ted deals TAFE a body blow Jeannie Rea, National President Victoria mobilises to fight savage cuts to the TAFE sector. 3 The Three Rs of Round 6 Bargaining 16 Indigenous education & employment take a battering in Grahame McCulloch, General Secretary Victorian TAFE funding cuts 4 Your next Collective Agreement – why keep it to yourself? Matt McGowan, National Assistant Secretary BARGAINING & INDUSTRIAL  18 Bargaining Conference sets agenda for Round 6 UPDATE Approximately 80 delegates from across NTEU’s university branches met to 5 Australian Education for Sustainability Alliance; debate key strategies and claims. Gender pay gap short-changes women $250.50 a week; 19 Key academic claim: Control workloads and create new jobs Researching conflict in the workplace 21 General & Professional Staff bargaining claim 6 New NTEU Branch for staff at research institutes in Victoria;  22 Is there a future for libraries and library staff? Navitas staff get own NTEU Branch Report of the WA Library Forum.  7 Fighting huge cuts at ANU 24 RMIT tells staff: Be happy, or else! 8 Casual academics struggling to make a living & do their job; RMIT became a laughing stock with its ‘Behavioural Capability Framework’. Tas Division keeping members informed on UTAS review 26 Monitoring impacts of ERA on university staff 9 UC members gain genuine consultation and save their jobs; NTEU is investigating the effects of research quality measures upon staff.  Sydney Branch fighting job cuts FUNDING 10 Bronwyn Fredericks CQU ProVC Indigenous appointment;  27 Significance of university education to regional communities A Slavery Free Guarantee NTEU public lecture and Q&A on Thursday 2 August in Armidale NSW. 11 SAHMRI and the implications for SA universities 28 Does the Federal Budget deliver for education? Wayne Swan has delivered a highly contractionary Budget. INDIGENOUS NEWS 29 People in insecure work are putting lives on hold 12 Indigenous Forum 2012 People in precarious work are literally putting their lives on hold because 13 Expanding Conversations Forum they have no job or income security to plan for the future.

COLUMNS EQUITY 38 2012 Digital Campus Report 30 Push to improve gender equity at work News from the Net, by Pat Wright New legislation is intended to better encourage employers to remove barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce. 39 Health of Australian science Lowering the Boom, by Ian Lowe  32 Bluestocking Week 2012 NTEU is bringing back a week long celebration of women in academia.  40 AUR: 54 years archived online Guest Columnist, Ian Dobson  34 Muckaty Nuclear Waste Dump Traditional land owners from Manuwangku are disputing an agreement to

41 Democratic councils are crucial to academic independence permit a nuclear waste dump on their land. Letter from New Zealand/Aotearoa, by Sandra Grey, TEU

YOUR UNION INTERNATIONAL 35 Inquiry into international student education  42 ACTU Congress 2012: Secure Jobs. Better Future. The IEAC and the development of a national strategy to support the 44 Recent human rights actions by NTEU sustainability and quality of the international education sector. 45 New staff in NTEU offices 36 University of Virginia President ousted in political coup 46 Tax Guide; NTEU tax statement; NTEU gender equity audit When non-academic boards take over running academia. 48 Contacting your Union  37 Microscopes and mozzie nets Results of the ISSUE Foundation’s summer trip to Uganda. FROM THE OFFICERS JEANNIE REA, NATIONAL PRESIDENT Strengthening the chain: precarious workers and unions

round forty per cent of Australian workers are in some form of precarious employment. The NTEU made a strong case A to the Howe Insecure Work Inquiry focussing upon the casualisation of university teaching. We argued that while sessional tutoring by post graduate students and expert guest lecturers are a valuable feature of university teaching, over the last decade we have seen an explosion in casualisation.

The distinguishing characteristic of academic casualisation is that succeeded in regulating outwork after almost two decades of politi- the work is not casual or occasional, but the workers are. There is a cal and industrial campaigning. The outworkers, predominantly need for lecturers and tutors every semester, and while management recently arrived women migrants would have been dismissed as too argues they need flexibility, they have casualised far beyond the mar- hard to organise by some, but the TCFUA persisted. gins. This is the story across the Australian workforce. Jobs that used Some unions, such as those in retail and entertainment, have a to be permanent have been made precarious. history of organising amongst casual workers, and have regularised While many, in and outside trade unions, have expressed surprise employment conditions with varying degrees of success. But unions at the high rate of precarious work, this is not a sudden development. who had successfully made precarious work permanent across con- Two decades ago, Australian labour researchers were warning of the struction, manufacturing and service industries are struggling to rep- social and economic deleterious effects of the growing core-periph- resent and campaign for new precariate, as Guy Standing (2011) calls eral workforce structure. A diminishing core of high skilled, secure the precariously employed proletariat of neo-liberal globalisation. and well paid workers with a growing disenfranchised, deskilled and University employees, and not only academics, feature amongst precarious periphery is a characteristic outcome of neo-liberal eco- this class as highly educated and qualified knowledge workers. nomic planning, and has transferred the financial risks of business Ironically, many of the abovementioned labour researchers are them- onto the precariously employed, their families and communities. selves precariously employed. University research work is now highly Trade unions focused upon protecting the pay and conditions of insecure with both the academic and general staff likely to be on lim- their members, while many of the jobs disappeared. Some actually ited tenure contracts, reliant on the next successful grant submission. disappeared or went offshore; but others re-appeared in unregulated From a union point of view we argue that the researchers, the ‘backyard’ businesses. Australian union membership was in free fall casual academics and the agency hired general staff need to act colin traditional areas, while whole new areas remained largely unor- lectively rather than individually to improve their position. However, ganised, Outsourced workers were considered to be antagonistic to like other unions, we have usually concentrated upon defending the unions and too hard to organise. Many of these workers were immi- job security of those already in secure jobs. grant and female. And it is a bittersweet irony that now immigrant The strategy with academic casuals was to try and limit numbers workers and women are joining unions at greater rate than Australian and increase the remuneration and conditions of casual workers and born men. convert long term casuals. Whilst this has helped, the reality is that A century ago, Australia was the ‘workingman’s paradise” and trade most casuals want job security and ongoing staff want colleagues unions properly took much of the credit for this as men in unionised with whom they can share the whole workload of university teaching. jobs had better pay and conditions than their counterparts overseas. In the upcoming bargaining round, the NTEU will seek the crea- Most significantly, despite resistance from the craft unions, unskilled tion of 2000 new entry level, permanent, teaching focussed aca- and itinerant white men also organised into trade unions. Excluded demic positions to permanently replace casualised work. This by the men, women often had to form their own unions from teach- commitment will benefit both the casualised academics and the ers to tailors. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women academic profession. As the labour researchers argued, unions were sometimes in the union. However, most Indigenous workers neglect precarious workers at their own peril as precarious work were denied mainstream jobs, even though they were often doing undermines all workers. the same work from the mission or station. Unions also explicitly The NTEU is an industry union covering all workers in higher educa- excluded non-White migrant workers. tion and associated entities. This does not just mean all occupation A century later unions are once again mainly organised for work- categories, it also means all categories of employment. In this bar- ers in more secure jobs. But now the face of Australian unionism is gaining round, we are also putting strengthening Indigenous a tertiary educated woman in a professional job, because unionised employment targets at the top of the bargaining agenda. Substan- workers are now most likely to be in education, health or services. tially through union advocacy, employment of Aborigines and Torres However, while many unions abandoned those pushed into the Strait Islanders has doubled over the last decade. Let’s keep cam- precarious jobs claiming they are too hard to organise, some have paigning for decent and secure jobs for all. After all, as the saying persevered. The TCFUA (Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union) has goes, a chain is only as strong as it weakest link.

2 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 FROM THE OFFICERS GRAHAME Mcculloch, general secretary

The Three Rs of Round 6 Bargaining

ore than one hundred rank and file delegates attended NTEU’s Round 6 National Bargaining Conference in Melbourne M in late June. The Conference theme of Respect, Recognition and Reward underlined the contemporary aspirations and concerns of Australian university staff. After more than two decades of mass university education, the efforts and work of staff are still not properly recognised and rewarded by individual universities or the Commonwealth Government. Rising workloads, increased managerial control, job insecurity and declining professional autonomy characterise the university working conditions landscape. Round 6 is about tackling these longstanding problems. Financial and political backdrop means that all Agreements should expire no earlier than mid to late 2016. Within this approach, NTEU must be prepared to take industrial action to achieve its objectives, but this will only be necessary if While the Rudd and Gillard Labor Governments have delivered employers unreasonably refuse to settle the Union’s legitimate claims. substantial additional public investment to Australia’s universities, this has been insufficient to deal with a serious and longstanding Key bargaining claims shortfall in base funding per student for teaching, research and services. Labor has funded a major expansion of undergraduate enrol- While the Union faces a difficult political, financial and industrial ments under the new uncapped demand-driven funding system, university environment, it will nonetheless pursue key improve- and made big improvements to the indexation of Commonwealth ments to members’ employment conditions. grants. But it has not committed the financial resources necessary Our new mandatory claims are: to ameliorate work overload, physical capacity and infrastructure • Significant improvements to general staff workloads, reclassifi- shortages, emerging quality problems and rapid casualisation of cation, progression, staff development and mobility opportuni- the workforce. ties and proper professional recognition for general staff. Nonetheless, the funding shortfall is uneven across the sector • Better workload arrangements for academic staff with a particu- with a substantial number of universities retaining significant dis- lar focus on capping excess teaching loads, protecting research cretionary revenues mainly from international student and invest- opportunities and reducing exceptional levels of workload stress. ment income. While the high Australian dollar and the (primarily • A competitive salary rise which takes account of movements in trans-Atlantic) global financial crisis have flattened the growth of comparable labour markets, actual and prospective increases these revenues, they remain significant for bargaining and work- in the cost of living and the large and continuing uncompen- ing conditions purposes. NTEU’s bargaining strategy needs to take sated productivity gains associated with dramatic increases in account of the widening gap between richer and poorer universi- student enrolments without corresponding increases in staffing ties, and the wider global economic uncertainties. numbers. We also need to consider the very strong probability of a Coa- • Continued commitment to Indigenous employment through the lition victory at the next Federal Election. This would mean little implementation of existing, and the establishment of, new targets. or no prospect of any further direct public investment in universi- • Protection and enhancement of superannuation benefits and ties (and a serious likelihood of real reductions in public funding). standards for all university staff. It will also certainly mean adverse changes to industrial legislation • A new and innovative entry-level career structure for casual designed to erode Collective Bargaining and trade union rights. The academic employees with a view to achieving a serious and possibility of a HEWRRs-like program directed at NTEU’s bargaining permanent reduction in the unacceptably high levels of casual strategy cannot be discounted. teaching across the sector. Against this backdrop, the Round 6 bargaining strategy is based • Protection of existing employment conditions. on early settlement of new Agreements which both improve key The detail of these national mandatory claims capture the employment conditions for academic and general staff and create essence of Respect, Recognition and Reward, and will be supple- a defence against any future Coalition attack on university staff mented by local claims formulated by each university Branch. More employment and trade union rights. The Union will continue its than half of the sector will commence serious bargaining in late centralised bargaining approach based on key mandatory claims July, and nearly three quarters will be involved in bargaining by and settlement points, but the number and scope of these has been early 2013. limited to enable relatively short negotiating periods. It is essential that Agreements have a life which would extend See Bargaining Conference reports, pp.18-21 across the whole of any Coalition Government’s first term, which

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 3 FROM THE OFFICERS MATThew MCGOWAN, national assistant secretary Your next Collective Agreement – why keep it to yourself?

n June, your Union bought together over 100 university delegates from around Australia to talk about a really important I issue for you and all your colleagues – what should the union be fighting for in the next round of enterprise bargaining? Setting pay and conditions university, and that local issues that are not properly covered in the national claim can also be given high priority in the bargain- While those of us working for or involved in unions understand how ing process. important bargaining is, it is worrying to realise how many Austral- Through union meetings on each campus, members will be asked ians don’t know how their wages and conditions are set. Public atti- to discuss and approve final claims. They will receive updates on tude research done by the Australian Council of Trade Union over the bargaining from those on the bargaining team. If negotiations do last decade has consistently shown that many people don’t know not proceed properly, members may be asked to vote on taking very much at all about how their conditions are established and pro- industrial action. This is not done lightly, but is sometimes the only tected, and of course the problem is more pronounced with younger way to convince the management that the union is negotiating on workers. behalf of staff, and they deserve a say in the outcome. We in the NTEU assume people at universities are smart enough to When the negotiations reach a conclusion, the national office realise that salaries and conditions are set by an industrial instrument of the union will check the agreement to make sure everything called an Enterprise Agreement, and how bargaining occurs. has been covered, and that there are no inadvertent errors in the But maybe we shouldn’t be so arrogant. Most members who have agreement. Members will then be members will be asked if they been a bargaining process should have some idea, but what about agree with the final outcome before the agreement goes to a formal the broader university staff who are not union members know? Do ballot, and then gets signed and certified. our younger members and potential members think that our present conditions are set in stone and improvement are granted by How you can get involved the employers? Most importantly – do university staff who aren’t members under- NTEU is one of the most democratic unions in the country. Mem- stand that our capacity to really improve salaries and conditions, bers and delegates have a significant role in every step of the pro- and to protect important rights is dependent on us having a strong cess. Members elect the delegates who determine the national claim, and engaged membership at each institution? members at each university approve the final claim with local issues included, elected members and staff negotiate the agreements, and Laying the foundations members vote on the final agreement. Most of those in the elected positions are ordinary staff who are Last month, every university in Australia was represented at a two day not paid by the Union for their work. They do it because they care union conference at NTEU’s National Office in Melbourne. Delegates about the university, and they care about the way staff are treated. debated the issues of significance in our universities, and how we But the Union won’t be able to achieve what we need to achieve would deal with these in the next round of enterprise bargaining. without the continued and growing involvement of our members Nearly 100 union delegates bought the experiences and views at the workplace. of their universities to the table to discuss issues such as salaries, You can support your delegates in the upcoming bargaining. future of casual employment and academic labour, academic and Here’s five things you can do to help! general staff workloads, general staff classifications and staff devel- 1. Make sure you know who your delegate is – contact your local opment, superannuation among other issues. Branch. Our bargaining claims are not decided in closed room in South 2. Let your delegate know you are interested in bargaining – ask Melbourne. They are decided by union delegates, most of whom questions, get information. you have elected to your branch committees. Once agreed, these 3. Share the information with people in your department – mem- are developed into formal logs of claim that are used to frame nego- bers and non-members. tiations with your university. There are core national claims which 4. Let non-members know that the union is preparing to start every university will receive and be required to negotiate. In addi- negotiating with management. tion, your university union branch will consider local claims and 5. Invite them to join – to enjoy all the benefits of being a union other recommended claims that will be included in the log. member! This ensures that the Union can bargain for a key set of conditions that will apply across the country as negotiated in each

4 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 UPDATE

NATIONAL Australian Education for Sustainability Alliance

ustralian Education for Sustainability Alliance A (AESA) was launched at Parliament House in Canberra in March. The launch included the release of its first report, The State of Education for Sustain- ability in Australia, and a press conference with school students and Alliance members meeting with over 20 Federal Ministers, MPs and Senators.

The Alliance brings together a diverse range the school’s waste, water use, energy and Above: Professor Ian Lowe at the AESA launch in Canberra. of teacher, parent, and environment organi- increasing biodiversity. Photo: Chris Pearce sations with education unions (including All federal funding for the AuSSI program QUEENSLAND NTEU) to demonstrate the need for political has been cut in the last twelve months. Alli- leadership on education for sustainability. ance members spoke to many politicians, Its vision is to build a sustainable nation by including Environment Minister Tony Burke, Researching ensuring all Australians have access to sus- Education Minister Peter Garrett and Shadow tainability information through education Environment Minister Greg Hunt about rein- and professional development. vesting in AuSSI during 2012. conflict in the The key aim for the launch was to publicly Primary and high school students from show the need for increased investment around Canberra joined Alliance spokes- workplace in sustainability education and specifically people headed by Australian Conservation pressure politicians on reinstating the Aus- Foundation President (as well as NTEU Life tralian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI). Member and Advocate columnist) Ian Lowe TEU Queensland Division is AuSSI is a highly successful sustainabil- at the press conference to tell their stories N supporting researchers at ity program developed in 2003 to provide about sustainability. It was really inspiring to Griffith and Bond University who practical sustainability education to schools hear about their vegetable patches, recycling are examining conflict in the work- across Australia. Since then, it has reached and re-use programs and how they take the place, and urges members to take over 3200 schools, supporting teachers sustainability lessons they learn in schools part. This is one key way you can to embed sustainability lessons in their home to their parents and community. A assist to address anti-social behav- classrooms and giving students hands-on Michael Evans, National Organiser iours in Australian workplaces. experience in sustainability, by reducing AESA c www.educationforsustainability.org.au Participation involves the completion of NATIONAL an anonymous 15 min. (possibly longer The Equal Opportunity for Women in the depending on responses) online survey. Workplace Agency (EOWA) has calculated You can complete the survey anytime Gender pay gap the gender pay gap based on average between now and the end of October. weekly ordinary time earnings for men Feel free to tell your friends and col- and women. leagues within the higher education short-changes The average weekly earnings of women sector who may be interested in partici- working full-time were $1,186.90 per pating. Details of the survey, including women $250.50/wk week or $250.50 per week less than men, consent, confidentiality, and the pro- who earned an average weekly wage of ject’s ethics approvals, can be found at $1,437.40 per week. Over the course of the link below. ccording to new data from the a year, this difference would add up to If you have any questions about this A Australian Bureau of Statistics $13,026. WA has the largest gender pay research please contact either Dr Sara (ABS) released on 18 May, Australia’s gap at 25.8%, while the ACT has the lowest Branch ([email protected]) or Dr working women earn 17.4% less at 12.0%. A Jane Murray ([email protected]). A than their male colleagues. For more information, see: c www.griffith.edu.au/professional-page/ Push to improve gender equity at work, p. 30 sara-branch

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 5 UPDATE

VICTORIA NATIONAL New NTEU Branch for staff at research Navitas staff get institutes in Victoria own NTEU Branch

TEU has recently established a Research Institutes Branch, recognising the new national Navitas Branch N distinct nature of the workforce in the sector, its growing size and the com- A has been established to rep- munity of interest amongst workers within it. resent the interests of NTEU members working for entities owned The new Branch encompasses employ- the fact that their research institute is aus- and/or operated by Australia’s ees of those research institutes in Victoria piced by, or associated with, that university. largest private provider of higher which are separate employers to universi- Recognising this common interest and education programs. ties. Therefore research employees working providing a Branch through which it can be within the universities, either in faculties or expressed will enable serious campaigning Navitas presently offers such programs in research centres, remain within the uni- and organising around the issues of concern in association with 11 public universi- versity Branches. to research institute staff – issues which tend ties in Australia. Research institutes constitute a growing to be swamped in the workload and cam- NTEU members employed at Navitas industry in which we already have a suffi- paign priorities of the university Branches. workplaces now have the opportunity cient core of members to provide the basis Second, staff in the stand-alone research to elect their own Branch President (and for an effective Branch, and where there institutions are not directly interested in the other representatives) and for the first is substantial scope for expansion, both majority of the business done by the univer- time will be given separate representa- in the range of institutes where we could sity Branches – they are not affected by the tion at the annual NTEU National Coun- recruit new members, and in expanding our university Enterprise Agreements or policies, cil Meeting. Nomination forms for these membership base at those places where we they are almost never mentioned in Branch positions have recently been sent to all already have a presence. publications, they are generally separately eligible members. NTEU Victorian Division currently has 100 located. As a result, they do not engage with The establishment of the new members across seven research institutes. the Branches they are currently members of. national Navitas Branch is recognition As it happens, they are all medical or health They do not participate in Branch, Division or that members working for geographi- research institutes, and our membership National elected structures. cally dispersed Navitas businesses face includes both academics and general staff. Third, this is a growing area of employ- particular challenges that can only be We have bargained for Agreements at four ment. It would be of great benefit to the overcome via a coordinated indus- of these. NTEU if we intend to actively recruit and trial and professional strategy. The organise in these workplaces, to present to new Branch will provide a framework Reasons for establishing the potential members their own Branch which to facilitate communication between understands and reflects the interests of members on such matters as the refusal Branch research institute staff. of Navitas to provide industry-stand- Any members working in research insti- ard 17% employer superannuation First, there is a commonality of interest and tutes who are interested in getting involved contributions and their overwhelming industrial experience between staff in these in the Research Institutes Branch should con- reliance on insecure casual employ- institutes that is stronger than the link they tact the Victorian Division. A ment. A share with university Branches by virtue of Research Institutes c www.nteu.org.au/resinstitutes Navitas Branch c www.nteu.org.au/navitas

vol. 53, no. 2, 2011 Published by NTEU Since 1958, the ISSN 0818–8068 Want to receive your own copy of AUR? Australian Universities’ AUR is published twice a year by the NTEU. Review has been NTEU members are entitled to receive a free subscription on an opt-in basis – so you need to let us know. encouraging debate AustralianAUR Universities’ Review If you are an NTEU member and would like to receive AUR, and discussion about please email [email protected] issues in higher education and its contribution to Australian public life.

AUR is listed on the DEEWR register of refereed journals. 6 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 UPDATE ACT Massive, Canberra-wide protest Fighting huge cuts at ANU NTEU, students and the Canberra community have vehemently protested the proposed cuts and sacking of staff. n April, the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) Massive musical protests compellingly I announced a plan to slash up to 150 jobs and cut $40 million from the Uni- displayed the extraordinary quality of the versity budget. Extraordinarily, this was not because the ANU was in deficit, but School of Music’s staff and students, who because Vice-Chancellor Ian Young wants a bigger annual budget surplus than are a crucial, central part of the musical life the (pessimistically) projected $14 million. of Canberra. This is why community members joined A rapidly arranged NTEU mass meeting of To explain the embarrassing contradiction NTEU members and ANU students in a pro- over 200 members condemned the cuts, as with its earlier announcement that forced test rally of over a thousand people. It is why did the ANU Students’ Association. redundancies would be avoided, manage- a ‘Support Our School’ concert overflowed Over 400 staff and students then rallied in ment claimed the School of Music cuts were the University’s Llewellyn Hall, breaking protest and marched on the ANU Chancelry. a separate issue that had been in planning attendance records. Many people wrote to the Vice-Chancel- for years. A petition against the cuts with 25,000 sig- lor, whose preferred consultation method natures was presented to the ANU Council appears to be an email. Spill and fill averted and the Federal Parliament, and many wrote The campaign against the cuts gained passionate, cogently argued submissions extensive coverage in both ACT and national The Union immediately lodged a dispute to the Vice-Chancellor. Nonetheless, ANU media. about the proposed ‘spill and fill’ redundancy Council at its latest meeting voted to back On 30 April, Ian Young announced that he procedure, and the announcement of redun- the Vice-Chancellor’s change process. had responded to protests and consultation dancies without prior consultation with staff. An NTEU mass meeting has voted unani- by pulling back very significantly on his origi- These both breached the ANU Enterprise mously in support of further action to save nal plans. Agreement. the school if needed. Unlike Sydney University’s Michael We secured ANU management’s agree- At press time, Ian Young has not announced Spence, Ian Young did consult staff before ment that the change proposal must be his final decision about School of Music cuts. implementing his plan and the plan changed managed according to the Agreement. This To ignore the overwhelming community as a result of it. meant redundancies could not occur until horror at his plan would show extraordinary Nonetheless, the Vice-Chancellor still says management had genuinely consulted, and arrogance, and make it clear that all staff at he intends to cut his budget by $40 million, shown for each position that it was actu- the ANU must be prepared for hard battles but to do this over three years rather than ally redundant. The University must then against economic rationalist decisions based a few months. Staff cuts are to be achieved attempt to redeploy any redundant staff. on highly questionable accounting. A through attrition, early retirement agree- Jane Maze, ACT Division Organiser ments and voluntary redundancy, whereas the original plan involved up to 150 forced retrenchments. The Vice-Chancellor says he will consult heads of Colleges to determine areas that are to be cut. It is clear that NTEU members at the ANU will need to be ready to defend their areas of work from cuts driven simply by the desire for a larger surplus. Turning on the School of Music

Within days of this backdown, ANU management shocked the campus by announcing a spill of all thirty-two positions in the School of Music. Sacked academic and general staff were to be invited to express interest in being rehired in a restructured School with twelve fewer positions and a vastly different curriculum. A significant amount of teaching was to be outsourced. NTEU members, students and the Canberra community protesting the proposed cuts and sacking of staff. Photo Jane Maze

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 7 UPDATE

NATIONAL National survey reveals a casual academic workforce struggling to make a living and do their job University Casual Academic Staff Are you getting paid your fair share?

Find out by taking the NTEU’s national survey of casual aca- The majority of survey A demic staff in Australian uni- respondents work over and CASUAL TEACHING versities has revealed a workforce above what they are paid & RESEARCH STAFF struggling to make a living and do for. Many indicated they their job with the resources they are did not have access to the SURVEY 2012 given. resources necessary to do their job properly. insecure, stressful, temporary work arrange- Nearly 1500 individuals responded to the ‘This is of particular concern given that ments that have harmful financial and physi- NTEU’s survey conducted earlier this year. more than half of all undergraduate teaching cal impacts. ‘The findings from this survey, one of in our universities is carried out by casual aca- Ms Rea said ‘I continually hear stories from the largest undertaken in Australia, are demic staff. This has implications for the qual- talented young academics that have left the extremely alarming,’ said Jeannie Rea, NTEU ity of undergraduate education,’ said Ms Rea. sector because they have had enough of the National President. The survey also explodes the myth con- stress involved and feel there is no possibility of The survey showed that large numbers structed by many in university manage- a stable career in higher education. It’s a major of casual academics are struggling to put ment, that staff appreciated casual working waste of talent which we cannot afford.’ A together an income, with many having more arrangements because it gives them flex- Michael Evans, National Organiser than one appointment and a significant ibility. The majority of survey respondents A briefing paper on results of NTEU’s Casual Teaching number having as many as four separate aspire to a full time academic career. Many and Research Staff Survey 2012 jobs in multiple universities. are trapped, however, in a succession of c www.unicasual.org.au /survey2012

TASMANIA although we expect UTAS management to dispute that claim. Tasmanian Division keeping members This is a very important time for our Union, as one of our primary roles is to protect jobs, whether they are Professional informed on UTAS review Staff, Academic Staff or ELC Teachers. We need to be prepared to protect each other and to stand as one. As well, we must n 14 June, NTEU Tasmanian Division notified all members of important ensure that any change will assist the edu- O information regarding the review being conducted by Pricewaterhouse- cational outcomes of our students. Coopers (PwC) into Professional and Academic Staff operating models at the Over the next couple of months, Tasma- University of Tasmania. nian members are asked to support NTEU’s campaigns and to attend all the meetings The last few months have been difficult opportunity for staff to make the PwC feel we call, wherever possible. We will ask and uncertain for members and other staff welcome – the reality has been that the members to get involved and do whatever at UTAS. In this letter, the NTEU sought to PwC personnel have engaged only with they can to defend our university. This will share with members as much information senior managers at UTAS, and there has assist in demonstrating our resolve as a as the Union had about the PwC reviews. been no contact with staff in any broader Union. NTEU is concerned that UTAS has not sense. NTEU Tasmanian Division will continue been forthcoming in communicating its NTEU has attended three briefings from to provide members with as much informa- intentions to staff. Since the announce- UTAS management about the reviews, but tion as possible and look forward to stand- ment of the process in a short email to all the information provided to us has been ing with them to protect our university. A staff on 13 March 2012, and in contradic- selective and short in detail. The letter to Rob Binnie, Industrial Officer tion to the content of that email, there members contained information the Union View the (major) documents we have received in response to has been no further communication from had assembled from these briefings, other our Right to Information request UTAS management on the progress of the sources and Right to Information requests. c http://www.nteu.org.au/tas/article/Letter-to- reviews. Furthermore, there has been no We believe this information is accurate, NTEU-members-regarding-PwC-reviews-12914

8 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 UPDATE

ACT In late May UC management announced that the Japanese program would continue UC members gain genuine consultation and for at least the next three years. If increased student numbers and other curriculum- related goals are achieved during that time, save their program and their jobs it will continue indefinitely. Staff are deservedly relieved and celebrating a significant win. Having achieved mean- wo days before Christmas 2011, the Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University ingful consultation through their Union, they T of Canberra (UC) told staff in the Japanese program that their course would used it to achieve a good outcome through close due to having insufficient student numbers to provide adequate income. the energy, intelligence and commitment of their campaign to save an important pro- Fortunately, these staff had a union to greater student numbers over the next few gram. UC is also to be congratulated on its defend them against this Scrooge-like years as there is currently a much increased role in finding a way forward that hopefully action. NTEU pointed out to the Dean that cohort of students studying Japanese at sec- will mean this program in a crucial Asian lan- the University was required to carry out ondary level in the ACT. guage continues. the managing change procedures speci- They outlined the ways the Japanese NTEU member Yuko Kinoshita commented: fied by the union-negotiated Enterprise program contributed to achieving key ele- ‘The review report recognised the importance Agreement, including consulting staff. This ments of the University of Canberra’s strate- of Asian language learning and the quality of gained the program a six-month reprieve to gic plan, including its goal of expanding its teaching in our program, referring to our ‘near allow consultation to occur. relationships in East Asia and South Asia, and the top of Faculty of Arts and Design’ Unit Sat- The original brief for the review of the increased the University’s attractiveness as a isfaction Survey results. They also recognised decision was very narrow, which made NTEU student destination. as many as seventeen of our proposed future members in Japanese pessimistic at first During the consultation period members actions as good ideas and recommended to about how genuine their chance of influ- in Japanese also alerted students and inter- implement them. We still disagree with many encing the plan would be. This did not deter ested community members to the threat to facts and analyses in the report, including the them from putting together a very strong the program. Many of these, including the assertion that we have been cross-subsidised. submission to the review, whose scope was Japanese Ambassador, wrote or spoke to UC However, we trust the Dean’s commitment in later widened somewhat. management about the program’s value. assisting our growth and also in the transpar- In their submission the members dis- NTEU ACT Division also made a submission ency of the process and information. We are puted management’s representation of the to the review of the program’s future and ready to start working for the future of the financial position of the program. They also supported and advised members through- Japanese program.’ A showed that there is a high likelihood of out the process. Jane Maze, ACT Division Organiser

NEW SOUTH WALES the people who are being forced into redundancies. We are also continuing the fight in enterprise bargaining, as we negotiate for Sydney Branch fighting job cuts more stringent job security measures. The No Job Cuts campaign has shifted gear, but that is no indica- tion we are giving up the fight; we have achieved a lot already and ince November last year, the NTEU has been working we will most certainly be keeping the pressure on management. A S hard to stop the University of Sydney management’s Michael Thomson, Sydney Branch President proposed job cuts. We have had significant success already in securing the employment of many staff, and the fight continues to save those still targeted for redundancy.

On 7 May, the University sent out forced voluntary redundancy notices to 23 academic members of staff. Even taking into consideration those who have already accepted redundancy packages, the final number of job losses among academic staff will be significantly less than the 150 proposed in November 2011. This is a remarkable win for staff at Sydney University. With the review process still to run its course, we hope that the final number of people losing their jobs will be even lower. We started this campaign to save jobs, and we have saved many. Of course, we hope to save more and will continue to fight for

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 9 UPDATE

QUEENSLAND NTEU congratulates Bronwyn Fredericks on CQU ProVC Indigenous appointment

n April, NTEU National Indigenous Councillor (Qld), Bronwyn Fredericks I (right), was appointed to the role of CQUniversity Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indig- enous Engagement) and BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) Chair in Indig- enous Engagement.

This new senior leadership role is a jointly to embarking on this exciting journey of funded position which will support out- improved Indigenous engagement with reach activities between the University and her at the helm.’ the Central Queensland region’s numerous BMA Asset President Stephen Dumble Indigenous communities. said the company was proud to strengthen endeavour to improve educational out- According to CQUniversity Vice-Chancel- its partnership with CQUniversity to help comes for CQUniversity’s Indigenous stu- lor and President, Professor Scott Bowman, deliver improved education pathways for dent cohort past, present and future. I the position has been a long time in the Indigenous people living and working in also intend to build on the excellent plat- planning and will form a vital part of CQU- the region. form already established by the Univer- niversity’s senior leadership team. Professor Fredericks said she was hon- sity’s Nulloo Yumbah Centre for Indigenous ‘CQUniversity is at the forefront of Indig- oured to be taking up the challenging but Learning, Spirituality and Research. enous tertiary education in Australia, with exciting new role. ‘As the BMA Chair in Indigenous Engage- an Indigenous student population that is ‘I am looking forward to working with ment I hope to expand the University’s out- already double the level of national targets,’ Indigenous communities to identify reach efforts with the region’s Indigenous Professor Bowman said. ways to build their capacity in educa- communities, in line with BMA’s Indig- ‘Professor Fredericks has an exemplary tion, employment and general equality of enous Relations plan, and help to put in track record in academic leadership and, opportunity, and then helping bring this to place pathways to education, training and with her strong ties to Central Queens- fruition,’ Professor Fredericks said. employment opportunities that can lead to land, is the perfect person to take on this ‘I will work to advance CQUniversity’s a brighter future.’ A vital role. I am very much looking forward Indigenous engagement agenda and Source: CQUniversity - BMA media release 18 April

4 INTERNATIONAL Australia is lagging behind a number of other developed A Slavery Free Guarantee consumer countries, most notably the US, in taking actions TEU has joined with anti-human trafficking coalition to encourage com- N STOP THE TRAFFIK Australia, as well as the ACTU, panies to ensure National Union of Workers and the Textile, Clothing and the goods they import and sell are free from slavery and human Footwear Union in a campaign to demand that the Aus- trafficking. Australian law recognises that slavery and human traf- tralian Government ensure imported goods are free of ficking are serious offences wherever they occur but it has failed slavery and human trafficking in their supply chain. to offer any incentive for companies selling imported goods in Australia to ensure slavery and human trafficking have not been The ‘Slavery Free Guarantee’ campaign follows a two year study, involved in the production of goods they are importing. Unshackling Laws Against Slavery, examining the steps other The failure to enforce Australian law and of voluntary corporate countries around the world are taking to combat slavery and codes makes Australian consumers complicit in modern day slavery. A human trafficking in the production of imported goods. Unshackling Laws Against Slavery report Slavery or human trafficking is involved in the production of c http://stopthetraffik.org.au/take-action/unshackling-laws-against-slavery goods such as cocoa, seafood, bricks, clothing, rugs and palm oil in A petition in support of the campaign some countries. These goods are being exported and sold around c www.change.org/petitions/australian-senate-slavery-free-guarantee the world, including in Australia. Postcards for the campaign can be ordered by emailing [email protected]

10 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 UPDATE

SOUTH AUSTRALIA minimum superannuation and less favour- able overall employment conditions e.g. SA Health & Medical Research Institute and restricted access to promotion. While the bargaining round did achieve improvements for research staff, including at the implications for SA universities Adelaide and Flinders Universities, research staff overall still experience less favour- able employment conditions compared with major construction is underway, along North Terrace Adelaide, opposite the their teaching and research or professional A City West campus of the University of South Australia and adjacent to what staff equivalents. will become the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. It is worth noting that the next round of enterprise bargaining in SA will commence The building, due to be completed by June three SA universities and the SA Govern- at about the time the SAHMRI building is offi- 2013, will be the home of the South Aus- ment.’ The purpose of these agreements ‘is cially opened. tralian Health & Medical Research Institute to actively engage with research groups and It may well be in the interests of the (SAHMRI). organisational entities outside the flagship Universities to ensure that the conditions research facility with the purpose of devel- of employment for their researchers are How SAHMRI will operate oping and fostering collaboration across improved as a retention strategy when com- organisational boundaries.’ peting with SAHMRI. The following information about SAHMRI Clearly then cooperation and collabora- If further improvements do not occur, then explains the scale of the development which tion are guiding principles in the formation the Universities risk losing their most expe- is occurring: of SAHMRI, which was established to ‘assist rienced researchers to the ‘state of the art’ • The building will cover 25,000 sq m. South Australia in maintaining and increas- facility on North Terrace. • Be capable of housing 700 researchers. ing its share of national research funding.’ • Contain a vivarium - an enclosure used for Implications for NTEU coverage keeping animals in conditions similar to Where will the 700 SAHMRI their natural environment for study. Industrially, the NTEU is now considering • Provide dedicated space for advanced researchers come from? the issue of coverage of staff employed by technology facilities including a cyclotron. SAHMRI. • Engage in research focused on the areas It can be assumed that some researchers cur- The Union nationally is currently party to of cancer; heart disease; healthy mothers, rently employed in the SA universities may seven Enterprise Agreements which cover babies and children; nutrition and metab- well end up working for SAHMRI. What then the work of staff in research institutes around olism; mind and brain; and infection and are the implications for these universities? Australia e.g. Howard Florey Institute, Men- immunity. As members may be aware, in the last zies School of Health Research, the Ludwig • Include PC2 laboratories. round of enterprise bargaining, one of the Institute for Cancer Research. • House 9 fully flexible research modules. stated NTEU national aims was to improve The advent of SAHMRI produces opportu- • Establish a community education pod. the employment conditions for research nities and challenges for both the NTEU and As stated in SAHMRI’s 2011 Annual Report, staff at the Go8s and other research intensive the SA Universities over the next few years. A ‘The development of SAHMRI will allow the universities. Kathy Harrington, Industrial Officer, SA Division state to consolidate and enhance its position Prior to that round, research staff typically 3D marketing rendering of SAHMRI by Scharp. Architect: Woods in the health and medical research sector, experienced high levels of job insecurity, Bagot. Source: www.scharp.com.au/major-projects/sahmri nationally and internationally.’ SAHMRI in its public information states that it is ‘an independent organisation... committed to working in partnership with the Government, the universities and the wider health and medical research sector to deliver real health outcomes for patients and the community.’ (SAHMRI News July 2010). Three of the current eight positions on the SAHMRI Board are held by the Universities and occupied by the Flinders Vice-Chancel- lor, University of SA Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sci- ences of the University of Adelaide. Additionally, SAHMRI is developing ‘trans- parent partnership agreements with the

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 11 INDIGENOUS NEWS

In particular, outcomes from the survey Indigenous Forum 2012 found: • Only 43.2% of NTEU Branches responded to the survey request. • 62.5% of University Collective Agree- ndigenous delegates from universities around the country participated in ments have percentage based Indige- I the annual NTEU Indigenous Forum on 26–27 May 2012 at the NTEU National nous employment targets. Office in Melbourne. • 68.8% of Indigenous employment targets in Collective Agreements replicate the First held in 1999, Indigenous Forum is a Forum warmly welcomed our interna- employment targets in university Indig- core conference of the NTEU informing the tional guests from the Maori caucus of the enous Employment Strategies. Union of the current priorities of Indigenous Tertiary Education Union in New Zealand. • 37.5% of universities have Reconciliation members, as well as enabling delegates to Te Pou Tuarā (Māori Officer), Lee Cooper Action Plans. exchange experiences, to network and to and Tumu Āwhina on Te Toi Ahurangi & • 93.8% of Round 5 Collective Agreements gain strength from one another. Academic Advisor (Māori), Student Support have Cultural/Ceremonial Leave clauses. The theme for Forum 2012 was ‘Bar- Services, James (Hēmi) Houkāmau gave • 18.8% of universities do not have cur- gaining – Activism and Outcomes’, rent operational Indigenous Employment with the focus centred upon bargain- Committees. ing and reinforcing the Round 5 Indig- • 12.5% of universities do not have Indig- enous claims. Forum delegates also enous Employment Coordinators. discussed recommendations and out- • Of those universities that have Indig- comes from the report I’m Not a Racist, enous Employment Coordinators, 76.9% But... and how the recommendations were physically located in the universities pertain to Round 6 Bargaining. Human Resources department. Delegates were welcomed to Activism & Outcomes • 50.0% of universities have been rated country by respected Boonerwrung as having good compliance with imple- Elder, Aunty Carolyn Briggs. Aunty menting their Round 5 Indigenous Carolyn reminded delegates of employment clause. the need to continue our impor- • 18.8% of Branches have considered noti- tant work, particularly the need to fying a dispute on failure to comply with maintain and strengthen the Indig- Bargaining their Indigenous Employment Clause. NTEU National Indigenous Forum enous employment outcomes for 26-27 May 2012 • Only 6.3% of Branches consider there to Round 6. be strong grounds to notify a dispute. NTEU National President, Jean- nie Rea and General Secretary, Findings from the Branch survey have Grahame McCulloch addressed been useful in identifying areas that require delegates on the theme and strengthening in the next round. work undertaken by the Union, particularly the outcomes from NTEU Elections 2012 the previous bargaining round, the I’m Not a Racist, But... report Forum delegates were informed that elec- and the Branch survey on the tions for NTEU Branch, Division and National implementation of clauses in positions would be held in June and that Round 5. they are encouraged to stand for elected NTEU Indigenous Policy Committee (IPC) Forum delegates an overview of the current positions. Chair, Jillian Miller and Deputy Chair, Terry political climate and issues for Māori higher The link to Round 6 bargaining and the Mason gave an overview of the work under- education staff in New Zealand/Aotearoa. role of elected officials was clearly outlined taken by the Union over the previous twelve to delegates, in seeking to negotiate the best month period and discussed the work to Indigenous Business Review of Indigenous employment clause at all institu- be completed in the lead up to the 2012 tions – we need Aboriginal and Torres Strait National Council meeting in October. Round 5 Bargaining Islander members at the bargaining table! Delegates participated in a yarn session where they introduced themselves and dis- The National Indigenous Officer gave an I’m Not a Racist, But... cussed the issues of importance at their insti- overview to Forum delegates of the out- tution, as well as sharing stories with a focus comes from the Branch survey on imple- To finalise day one at Forum 2012, delegates on seeking appropriate solutions to address menting and enforcing Indigenous Clauses were given an overview of the work under- issues raised. from Round 5. taken on implementing the recommenda-

12 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 INDIGENOUS NEWS tions from I’m Not a Racist, But... and how these recommendations pertain to Round 6 bargaining. Expanding Conversations forum The discussions had a particular focus on bolstering the reporting process around university policies on anti-discrimination and racism. The link to bargaining was also ollowing the release of the I’m Not a Racist, But... report in November explored, particularly in the local context. F 2011, the NTEU National President, Jeannie Rea and the National Indig- enous Coordinator, Adam Frogley, were invited to present at the ‘Expanding Workshop Conversations’ forum, hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) on On the second day, delegates participated 15 May in Sydney. in a group workshop conducted by Ken McAlpine, Senior Industrial Officer. The The ‘Expanding Conversations’ forum is workshop discussed Bargaining Strategy an initiative of the AHRC and CHASS and National Anti-Racism and Negotiations with a view to informing, this inaugural seminar explored the cur- Partnership and encouraging and empowering delegates to rent research and projects that have been Strategy

DISCUSSION PAPER participate in negotiations in the upcoming undertaken by a wide range of individuals • 2012 bargaining round. and organisations to tackle racism in Aus- Delegates were thankful for the bargain- tralian society. ing workshop, in particular the presentation Jeannie Rea and Adam Frogley jointly and discussion by Ken McAlpine, assisted by presented the findings from the I’m Not a Linda Gale from the Victorian Division. Racist, But... report and discussed how the findings show that racism and racial dis- Recommendations for Round 6 crimination are barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wanting to Bargaining gain qualifications and/or work in the Aus- tralian higher education sector. Forum delegates endorsed the following They also explained how the recom- amendments to the National Indigenous mendations from the report seek to claim and strategy for the next Bargaining achieve change, particularly in a university round: policy and procedural context. • Indigenous Employment Target: All Indig- Recommendation two from the I’m Not hoped the Strategy will challenge people’s enous employment targets in the next a Racist, But... report instructs the Union to perceptions of what racism is and how it round must be numeric rather than per- lobby the Commonwealth and State/Ter- affects members of our diverse, multicul- centage based targets. ritory Governments to examine detailed tural community. • Bargaining Strategy: That the Indigenous strategies and institute a public campaign NTEU will continue to support the Com- employment claim is the first item to be to tackle racial discrimination in Australian mission in their efforts to achieve social negotiated at all institutions. This strate- society. In line with this recommenda- change and address racism in all forms. gic amendment will ensure that: tion, outcomes from the one day forum The Anti-Racism Strategy will be launched • Negotiations on the Indigenous will inform the work of the AHRC in their publicly in July this year, with the imple- employment claim follow wider Union campaign to develop and implement a mentation of the strategy to be rolled out protocol on Indigenous business; and National Anti-Racism Strategy. over a three year period. A • Should there be difficulties in negotiat- The National Anti-Racism Strategy is AHRC Anti-Racism Strategy ing the claim, this strategy will ensure long overdue. When implemented, it is c www.humanrights.gov.au/antiracism a campaign/action can be taken by the Branch membership as part of the wider bargaining strategy. See also: The IPC and Indigenous Unit sincerely thank our guests, speakers and delegates to Forum 2012. We look forward to next year’s NTEU congratulates Bronwyn Fredericks on CQU ProVC Indigenous Forum in May 2013. A appointment p.10 Adam Frogley, National Indigenous Coordinator

c www.nteu.org.au/indigenous Indigenous education & employment take a battering in Victorian ‘I’m Not A Racist, But...’ is available for free download TAFE funding cuts p.16 c www.nteu.org.au/indigenous/publications

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 13 TAFE

Ted deals TAFE a body blow

he budget cuts to TAFE by the Victorian Coalition Government of Ted Baillieu represent the largest funding cut in the his- T tory of the sector, $300 million over the next three years. Combined with the policy of putting public TAFEs on an equal footing with private providers, TAFE is effectively being privatised.

As a result of these cuts, many courses will be closed. Some TAFEs • Student fees will rise to cover some of the loss of funding. Fee caps will be forced to amalgamate – some may even be forced to close. As have been removed. many as 2000 jobs will be lost. Regional communities in particular will be hit hard by job losses Unions leap into action and reduction in course options. There has been no consultation or public mandate to move to a de NTEU has been working closely with the Australian Education Union facto privatisation of public TAFEs. (AEU) to run rallies in regional centres, following a very successful rally in Melbourne. A total of ten regional rallies have been held. The rallies Baillieu’s cuts have been very successful, with crowds of over 1000 at both Ballarat and Geelong. The basic elements of the Government’s policies are: NTEU has received extensive media coverage and gathered • Removal of the price differential between TAFE and private provid- broad regional community and industry support across the state. ers. TAFE will be competing in the marketplace alongside private Unfortunately, TAFE management has also responded quickly, cut- providers, in most cases against lower wages and working condi- ting courses and already issuing redundancy notices to PACCT staff, tions, poorer amenities and student services. including many NTEU members. • Removal of payments to TAFE Institutes that covered their obligations as publicly owned providers of training, including their National risks community service obligations. Student services, such as libraries, student support, disability support will be cut. While the cuts to TAFE are a direct result of Victorian Government • Removal of regional differential funding to TAFE Institutes such as decisions, the move to a free market system is supported by the Com- Gordon Institute. monwealth and other state governments. • There will be no additional payments to cover wage increases or The real risk for the VET sector in other States is that the Victorian facilities maintenance (from 1 January 2013). model will be adopted in whole or in part in other parts of the coun- • 80% of courses have had their hourly subsidy reduced, some dra- try. What is needed now is a concerted national campaign against the matically. Each course will now have specific subsidy rates against creeping privatisation of vocational education and training. A them, based on a Government assessment of ‘public value’. Colin Long, Victorian Division Secretary • Funding per course will also vary depending on where it is deliv- NTEU TAFE Branch c www.nteu.org.au/tafe ered and how. Tafe4All c www.tafe4all.org.au

14 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 TAFE

Holmesglen Worst hit areas: certificate level Confirmed cuts to TAFE as of 18 June 2012 courses in hospitality, business, $30 million budget cut. customer contact, fitness and Redundancies expected. financial administration. Advance TAFE GippsTAFE Diploma fees to increase from Significant redundancies and $10 million budget cut. $2500 to $5000 as of 2013. course cuts expected. Up to 100 redundancies Viability of institution under South West Institute Some campuses under threat. expected. threat. $11.5 million budget cut. Under threat: Morwell and 80% courses will have reduced Leongatha campuses, hospital- government subsidies. Bendigo TAFE ity, art, design, sport, recrea- Kangan Institute 43 EFT positions already cut, $8-9 million budget cut. tion, retail and music courses. $25 million funding cut. more expected next year. 120 jobs to go. Fee increases expected by Up to 205 jobs could go by Services expected to be cut. Course cuts expected – the early next year. 2013. Increases in courses costs of Echuca-based Certificate III Up to 52 courses to be cut, between 50-400%. hairdressing apprenticeship including Australian Sign Lan- 169 courses to be cut. has been axed. Gordon Institute guage course, the only one of $14.6 million cut. its kind in Victoria and eastern Box Hill Institute Course cuts. Australia. Sunraysia Institute $24 million funding cut. Enrolments not being taken for $6.5 million budget cut. 9 distance education courses Up to 200 redundancies. NMIT 26 redundancies announced currently offered by Institute’s $25 million budget cut. so far. Course cuts expected, fees to Centre for Essential Business increase. Skills. Up to a hundred jobs cut. Redundancies expected. As many as 50 courses to be William Angliss Chisholm Institute scrapped. $5.8 million funding cut. $28 million budget cut. Fee rises of up to five times Goulbourn Ovens more current levels. Costs of a Significant redundancies No information available diploma degree could rise to Wodonga TAFE expected. $7 million budget cut. $4000 in 2013. Course cuts expected. Redundancies expected.

Confirmed cuts to dual sector institutions University of Ballarat Swinburne University $19 million (40%) cut in gov- $35 million budget cut in 2013 ernment funding. to TAFE operations. Up to 60 courses at risk, Bal- Significant flow-on impact to larat arts school under threat. the pipeline of TAFE students Horsham campus could be who articulate into higher seriously impacted with busi- education. ness, racing certificates to possibly go. Courses could also be cut at Stawall campus. Victoria University $34 million budget cut to TAFE Redundancies expected. operations. 50 positions being made RMIT University redundant in Technical Trades $20 million budget cut to Innovation and Workforce TAFE operations. Development. More jobs to go Job cuts expected. by the end of the year. International Centre of Graphic Fee hikes of up to 320% Technology to be closed (only expected. TAFE training centre in Victo- 100 courses to be cut, including rian where apprentices can sports and fitness, hospitality, prepare for printing career). business and financial services.

Helen Brady and Nicole Bremner from GippsTAFE at the Traralgon TAFE rally on 5 June 2012. Photos: Justin Westgate

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 15 TAFE Indigenous education & employment take a battering in Victorian TAFE funding cuts

he Victorian State Government’s announcement to significantly reduce funding for TAFE providers has had an enor- T mous impact upon the sector, with repercussions from this draconian decision resonating across the State.

Less reported in the mainstream media is the effect these wide rang- nor were they exploring or implementing clear pathways from training funding cuts will have upon Victorian Aboriginal students, staff ing to employment. and their communities. To understand the effects of the budget cuts The Wurreker Strategy recognises that the Victorian Indigenous on community, we need to explore the relationship between TAFE community is best placed to make decisions on training needs and providers and the Victorian Aboriginal community and the education priorities. Today Wurreker is implemented and funded through the outcomes achieved through this relationship. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) In Victoria, the peak Indigenous education body is the Victorian and Skills Victoria. Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI). VAEAI is driven by a simple yet important philosophy – Koorie education is Indigenous student engagement with TAFE birth to death; and VAEAI’s achievements since it was established in 1976 adhere strictly to this value. Since the Wurreker Strategy was introduced there have been major VAEAI’s Wurreker Strategy, launched in July 2000, was developed outcomes and improvements for Indigenous students in vocational after extensive consultation with the Indigenous community. The education and training. To illustrate this: Wurreker Strategy was implemented, in part, to address the training • In 2003 there were approximately 3,500 Indigenous students needs and aspirations of Koorie people. Before this time, the VET/ enrolled in VET courses; in 2010 enrolments had grown to 6,000. TAFE sector providers in Victoria were offering programs that were • In 2010, approximately 50% of Indigenous student enrolments inconsistent with employment opportunities available to Koories, were in the Certificate II and Certificate III levels.

16 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 TAFE

• The greatest age participation rate for Indigenous students enrolled in VET (approximately 1,500 students) were in the 15 to 19 year old age bracket, the second highest was for students in the 20 to 24 year old age bracket. • For Indigenous students who have disengaged from secondary school (and not completed Year 12) there has been steady growth in Certificate II level courses and above. For the period 2008 to 2010, enrolments from this group have increased from approximately 570 enrolments to around 770 enrolments. • 52% of Indigenous VET students are from regional areas, while 48% are from the metropolitan area. • VET Indigenous student completion rates are also increasing from 258 in 1998 to 976 in 2008. Indigenous Staff employed at TAFE providers

In 2011 it was reported that a total of 103 Indigenous staff were employed in TAFE across a range of roles; this figure represents 0.4% of all Victorian TAFE staff. The TAFE Directors Association (TDA) and Victorian TAFE Associa- tion (VTA) wrote in a submission to the 2011 Productivity Commis- sion’s Draft Research Report on the Vocational Education and Training Workforce, that they ‘agree with the sentiment/intention of this recommendation (Recommendation 8.5 to increase the number of Indig- enous staff working in the Victorian TAFE sector) but we recognise the difficulties in attracting and retaining Indigenous staff members.’ The only reasonable assumption that can be drawn from the recently announced funding cuts, is that Indigenous student and staffing numbers will be significantly affected and this will only amplify the disparity between the Wurreker goals for Indigenous student outcomes and exacerbate the current difficulties experienced by TAFEs, as identified by the TDA and VTA, to increase the number of Indigenous staff in the TAFE sector. As identified above, 52% of Indigenous student enrolments into VET courses originate from regional areas of Victoria. For Indigenous communities already struggling with limited employment opportunities in these areas, students and staff outside the metropolitan area will feel the brunt of the funding cuts and will have little to no options for technical and further education or pathways from TAFE to higher education. The vocational education and training system in Victoria has proven to be the mainstay further education option for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. With an estimated initial loss of $300m annually, Victorian TAFE providers will need to explore a wide range of cost cutting options to remain financially viable. These options will impact Indigenous students, staff and the community significantly. The relationship between TAFE providers, Koorie students, staff and community has been built through the vital, ongoing work of VAEAI and the goals of the Wurreker Strategy. While the Victorian State Government is determined to implement these cuts regardless of the consequences, the only outcome from the funding cuts will be reduced opportunities and diminished outcomes – a cut financially and a cut to the hopes and aspirations for all members of the Victo- rian Indigenous community. A Adam Frogley, National Indigenous Coordinator Photos: Justin Westgate

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 17 BARGAINING CONFERENCE

ound Six of university enterprise bargaining is under- R way following a successful meeting of approximately eighty delegates from across NTEU’s university branches to debate key strategies and claims. The NTEU Bargaining Bargaining Forum, held on 15-16 June, endorsed a bargaining strategy focussed on academic and general staff workloads, general staff career development and tackling the casualisation of university teaching. Conference The Union’s bargaining resolution was unanimously adopted following robust debate over proposed amendments to an Optional Individual Work Value Advancement claim for general staff and the proposed New Academic Career Entry and Work Structures (in lieu of Casual Employment). While major amendments were narrowly sets agenda lost, many others that strengthened the initial draft proposals were incorporated into the resolution. (See accompanying articles on the general and academic staff core claims.) One of the Union’s key bargaining claims is the creation of 2000 new, ongoing jobs for casual academics. The new positions, to be known as for Round 6 ‘scholarly teaching fellows’, will spend up to 70 per cent of their time teaching. They are an attempt by the Union to provide opportunities for career advancement for younger academics locked out of the system, and reduce the unacceptably high levels of causal employment.

18 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 BARGAINING CONFERENCE

‘Over half of academic teaching in universities is now undertaken by people paid by the hour,’ said NTEU President, Jeannie Rea. ‘This Key academic claim: growth in casualisation is the dirty secret of Australian higher education, which now threatens to undermine the quality of our university system. No matter how hard these causal staff work, and we know Control workloads and they are very committed, they cannot provide the same level of level of assistance to students as their full-time counterparts.’ Other major claims agreed on at the Bargaining Forum include: create new jobs • Improved career progression and classification procedures for general and professional staff. This is in recognition of the increasing amount and complexity of work faced by professional staff. • Further increases in Indigenous employment based on binding t the NTEU Bargaining Forum, delegates from every Indigenous employment strategies and targets. A university made a serious commitment to reducing • Better workload arrangements for academic staff with a particu- the unacceptably high levels of casualisation of teaching lar focus on capping excess teaching loads, protecting research across Australian universities. Following vigorous debate opportunities and reducing exceptional levels of workload stress. and amendments to the draft proposal, it was agreed to • Provision for employees who are dealing with the consequences seek the creation of 2000 new continuing entry level aca- of domestic violence. demic jobs during this round of enterprise bargaining. • A competitive salary rise which takes account of movements in comparable labour markets, actual and prospective increases in With the reality that over half of undergraduate teaching is now the cost of living and the large and continuing uncompensated done by casual academics employed only to teach, the NTEU productivity gains associated with dramatic increases in student is challenging universities to create decent academic jobs that enrolments without corresponding increases in staffing numbers. provide security and career entry to the next generation of aca- • The protection of existing employment conditions. demics. Currently, 20 per cent of the academic workforce is casu- With the majority of the existing three-year enterprise agreements ally employed. set to expire in the coming months, the Union will also be asking According to the NTEU’s recent survey of casual academics, the nation’s 39 Vice-Chancellors to sign up to four year agreements sixty per cent of respondents had been working casually for expiring in 2016. This is designed to provide a measure of stability for more than three years. More than ten per cent had been work- universities and firewall future enterprise bargaining negotiations as ing casually for ten years. Sessional tutoring is no longer the path much as possible from anti-union interference from a potential future to academic job. Rather, as time goes on the chance of getting a Coalition Government. proper academic job diminishes. ‘We understand the financial health of individual institutions differs NTEU could have demanded and negotiated yet again for across the higher education sector,’ said Rea. ‘But as successful cam- the conversion of casuals and the expansion of the Early Career paigns against staff cuts at institutions like the Australian National Development Fellowships. While we will seek to strengthen these University and University of Sydney have proven, management deci- clauses, which have experienced some success at some universi- sions regarding what is and is not possible can be successfully chal- ties, they have not really tackled the rapid rise in casualisation. lenged. We believe not only can universities choose to meet these Universities claim that they have resorted to casualising teach- claims, it is in their interests to do so to ensure their most valuable ing for financial reasons. Despite advocacy by the NTEU and the resource, their staff, get the respect, recognition and reward they sector, the current Federal Government still refuses to commit deserve.’ A to implementing the Bradley Report recommendation of a Andrew Nette, NTEU Media Officer conservative 10% increase in base student funding. However, university managements do make their own decisions upon Opposite: Aunty Carolyn Briggs delivers the Conference Welcome to Land. how they spend their budgets. At the same time as they claim Photo: Paul Clifton concern with ensuring that academics are engaged in teaching continued over page...

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 19 BARGAINING CONFERENCE Key academic claim: Control workloads and create new jobs

...continued from previous page Strengthened regulation of academic workloads and research, universities have created a massive ghetto of casual teaching-only academics. Over the past rounds of enterprise bargaining the NTEU has sought The proposed Scholarly Teaching Fellows (STF) ‘will usually be to regulate excessive academic workloads through better identi- teaching focused positions, with a maximum teaching load of up to fying and capturing the time or intensity involved in the various 70%, with remaining time being available for other activities (includ- tasks, especially those involved in teaching and teaching related ing an entitlement of 20% for scholarship and/or research). The func- duties and the service/administrative components. tions of these positions will be properly defined in the Agreement’. Research time has tended to be a reward for past measurable There is an understandable nervousness that these positions will and income accruing research outputs. With the continuing use of be teaching focussed in a climate where university managements the ERA rankings or a local version, many academics find meeting are pushing to re-classify academics into teaching focused posi- their research targets almost impossible and are thus constantly tions. However, there are already provisions for teaching focussed anxious about their performance appraisals. The workload models positions in some Agreements and also in some workload models. have not secured research time for many academics. Research time A new entry level category of STF could better contain the current has to grabbed here and there – and for many is only possible in creep towards teaching focussed positions. their own time. The proposal is to create positions equal to 20% of the EFT for While some universities have developed models considered casual academics engaged in teaching at the University (accord- reasonably fair and accountable, most academic staff believe they ing to the higher of the current ‘estimated casual’ numbers and the do not work fairly across the workforce and have found that their previous ‘actual casual’ numbers reported to DEEWR). The number workload has just increased, sometimes to unmanageable and of positions claimed will vary between universities due to vary- highly stressful levels. ing levels of casualisation. The objective is to permanently reduce One of the realities of increased workloads is the work that casual academic teaching employment and replace it with per- should be spread amongst colleagues. But this does not work manent positions. Commencing at the PhD point, entrants would when the colleagues are casuals. A whole raft of activities still access the incremental range of 5 steps in the existing structure, considered to be part of an academic’s role including sitting on and there will be a capacity for possible access to the full Level B progress and discipline boards, faculty and academic boards, range following a career review in the first 3 years’ of appointment. course approvals committees, or school examination boards, The claim goes on to detail: school visits, running disciplinary associations, journal editorship, ‘The teaching duties of these positions would be made up of peer reviewing, conference organising, consulting with industry, no less than 80% of the work previously done by casual employ- providing expert opinion to boards or courts, even providing ees, and be continuing appointments, either full or part time. The a second opinion for colleague on an examination, thesis draft duties of an employee who has been made redundant (voluntary or journal article are now even more time consuming as they or otherwise) cannot be allocated to these new positions within 3 are shared between fewer academics. There is not even time to years of the redundancy.’ mentor new colleagues, when they are only around a few hours a ‘These positions should be available on an open and competi- week during teaching time. tive basis to any person who has had at least one year’s academic The Bargaining Forum agreed that the objective in this round employment experience in an Australian university (but not includ- must be better workload arrangements for academic staff with ing a previous or current continuing academic appointment).’ a particular focus on capping excess teaching loads, protecting ‘It will also require a comprehensive workload framework which: research opportunities and reducing exceptional levels of work- 1. Protects and strengthens limits on teaching and teaching load stress. related duties, particularly for the large number of academic Therefore, the claim is for ‘an effective and quantifiable periodic staff with teaching and research responsibilities. cap on the hours to be worked in teaching and related duties or 2. Provides job security protection for current and future academic on measurable student load, based on a fair average assessment staff who wish to focus on scholarly teaching, and of the time associated with those teaching responsibilities, and 3. Prohibits the advertising of other new positions, or existing or with appropriate adjustments for leave, significant other allo- vacant teaching and research positions, as teaching focused cated duties, and excess-carry-over arrangements, and a limit or positions.’ limits on the period during which an employee can be required This proposal is not without risks, as it may introduce further to teach.’ challenges to the balance between teaching and research for cur- At their core, both these claims on controlling workloads and rent and future appointments at all levels of the academic structure. reducing casualisation are about attracting and retaining aca- However, we must intervene to reduce the casualisation of academic demic staff to ensure the ongoing quality and reputation of Aus- teaching before it becomes the dominant form of academic teach- tralian universities nationally and internationally. A ing and thus undermines the integrity of the academic profession. Jeannie Rea, National President

20 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 BARGAINING CONFERENCE

General & Professional Staff bargaining claim

espect, Recognition and Reward. These are the three Rs at the centre of the Union’s General and Professional Staff bar- R gaining agenda. Respect for the work that general and professional staff do, recognition of the value of that work, and reward for our endeavours.

The bargaining agenda endorsed by NTEU’s National Bargaining Con- • On-going staff having the right to take up a fixed term job without ference is a comprehensive suite of measures to address the key areas giving up permanency and fixed term staff able to apply for on- of concern for general and professional staff; classifications, career going jobs. opportunities, staff development and workloads. It was developed On Staff Development our bargaining claims centre upon: by the General Staff Working Party comprising representatives from • Establishment of a central staff development fund that offers real each Division, after extensive research of available data and a pro- learning opportunities. cess of consultation and review. Most important was NTEU’s national survey of general staff in late 2011, to which 8000 people responded. Workloads This provided real up to date information and commentary from members and non-members on the issues and concerns. We believe that it has been too easy for employers to shirk their responsibility to ensure that general and professional staff are work- Classifications ing reasonable hours and are compensated for extra time that they are required to spend at work simply to get their jobs done. We will NTEU will be campaigning for: be campaigning to ensure that employers take active steps to ensure • Enforceable classification descriptors. general staff workloads are not excessive. • Classification to be independent of budget. At some Branches we will also be bargaining for a novel approach • Agreed Position Descriptions reviewed regularly. to addressing the problem we would all be familiar with, that many • Joint union-university classification committees and appeal pro- general and professional staff are stuck at the top of their level and cesses. despite continuing to acquire skills and develop their abilities the • Timely consideration of reclassification applications and backdat- extra value of their work is not rewarded. This is a special case claim ing to the time that the staff member first applied. that is very much dependent on the circumstances in each Branch. • Genuinely competitive pay rises. As a general staff member you have an opportunity to help shape the claim at your university and participate in the campaign for better Careers general staff working conditions. You can do so by joining your local NTEU Branch, attending meetings, taking part in campaign activities On Career opportunities, NTEU will be campaigning for: and making your voice heard. • A staff mobility program and secondment register. NTEU believes that the shameful lack of investment in their general • All short term vacancies to be advertised as a secondment oppor- staff by university managements has gone on for far too long and it tunity first. is time that general staff receive the respect, the recognition, and the • All longer term vacancies to be advertised internally first and to be reward that we deserve. A given to internal applicants who meet the selection criteria. Gabe Gooding, National Vice President (General Staff)

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 21 LIBRARIANS

WA Library Forum Is there a future for libraries and library staff?

Gabe Gooding s there are future for libraries? Is there are a future for library staff? These were the NTEU Vice President I two key questions addressed at the first NTEU WA Division Library Forum held at (General Staff) Curtin University in June. Attracting a wide audience of over 70 attendees from the university sector, schools, TAFE and the private sector, the Forum heard from a panel of distinguished speakers in the field of Library and Information services.

The Forum started with a moving welcome and where qualifications are less important to country delivered by Len Collard a Noong- than personal attributes. yar man. Len spoke about the importance Barbara Coombes from Charles Sturt of language and learning to the Noongyar University discussed the concepts of digi- culture and explained that the welcome to tal natives versus digital refugees and sug- country is a traditional Aboriginal ceremony gested that library professionals could best that predates European settlement and is keep up with new technologies on a need to now used to form a connection between know basis. Disturbingly Barbara reported the first peoples and Australia’s current research that indicates that only 46% of Aus- population. WA Division Secretary Dr Lyn tralians have sufficient literacy and numer- Bloom was honoured to accept the mes- acy skills to participate effectively in modern ‘If university sage stick presented to the Forum by Len. society. She asked how can libraries help is the door, the National Assistant Secretary Matthew with that issue? library is the key’ McGowan opened the Forum with observa- Jill Benn from UWA observed that librar- Jenny, Librarian tions about the importance of libraries to ies are places that ‘set the inner nerd free’ universities and the Union, and the impact and used the example of the recently con- that declining funding is having on the sector. structed UWA Science Library to challenge the need to house collections in the tradi- Future of Information Services tional way. Jill suggested that the three key words for Libraries of the Future are ‘priori- Keynote speaker for the Forum was Garry ties, proactive and people’. Conroy-Cooper from LINC Tasmania. Garry’s challenging and provocative address cov- Developing resilience ered a wide range of ideas about the future of Information Services including the need In the second session, Stephen McVey from to break down barriers within the profes- the University of Notre Dame Australia com- sion and to ensure that leadership can pared the graduate attribute statements of occur at all levels. some universities to those required by librar- www.investinuniversities.org.au unistories.org.au Garry challenged the participants to con- ians and suggested that the key is in devel- Authorised by Grahame McCulloch, General Secretary, National Tertiary Education Union, 120 Clarendon St, South Melbourne. Photo: Andrew Curtis sider whether the word ‘library’ still works for oping resilience. Stephen argued that we live the profession in the digital age. Garry spoke in a system of constant change and that resil- of a future where all delivery is 24/7, where ience gives us the ability to adapt and thrive. the library is a central and safe social space, He suggested that there were key activi-

22 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 LIBRARIANS

the data from the recent national survey of general staff to examine and compare the attitudes of Library Assistants and Techni- cians versus Librarians. The key issues of the need for greater respect and recognition, better career pathways and investment in staff development that occur in the wider general and professional staff population are also keenly felt in Libraries. Gabe spoke of the upcoming bargaining round, and the need for library staff to engage not only within their own university but also with staff from other institutions to promote and advance the key work that library staff do in universities. As Jenny the Librarian says ‘If universities are the door, the Library is the key’. The afternoon concluded with a robust WA Libraries Forum speakers Steve Fleming (Curtin), Stephen McVey (UNDA), NTEU Vice-President (General Staff) Gabe Gooding, Jill Q&A session that ranged across issues such Benn (UWA) and Garry Conroy-Cooper (LINC Tasmania). as the future of the degree entry require- ties that can be undertaken to build resil- ence to answer why there cannot be a path- ments for Librarians, the feminised profession ience including collaboration within and way into the profession based on skills and and the lack of respect on that basis, how to beyond the library, development of a cul- experience rather than degree qualifications. emphasise the importance of libraries includ- ture of critical thinking, actively mentoring Steve used an historical analysis of great peri- ing the importance of framing the issues others, reading widely and sharing what we ods of change and advancement in human according to the needs of the audience, and read, to not allow technology to distract us society to postulate what the workplace and how to experiment with knowledge. and to take the long view in order to always workforce of the future may be like. At the end of a very engaging and stimu- keep options open that allow us to respond The final speaker, NTEU National Vice lating afternoon of discussion many attend- to change. President (General Staff) Gabe Gooding ees expressed a desire to be involved in the Arguing that there should be a pathway for presented key government staffing data on WA Division library staff network. The WA Library Technicians and Assistants to take up libraries and analysed trends in employment. Division is keen to see this initiative spread to further roles within libraries, Steve Fleming Gabe illustrated the very gendered nature of other states; see the link below for details. A from Curtin University challenged the audi- employment in university libraries, and used www.nteu.org.au/wa/libraries

Adventures in reverse psychology Save the Library. Burn the Books! he city of Troy, Michigan, US was facing a budget T shortfall, and was considering closing the Troy Public Library for lack of funds. Even though the necessary revenues could be raised through a miniscule (0.7%) tax increase, powerful Tea Party groups organised against it.

A vote was scheduled amongst the city’s residents, to shut the library or accept the tax increase, and Leo Burnett Detroit decided to support the library by creating a reverse psychology campaign. Yard signs began appearing that read: ‘Vote to Close Troy Library on August 2nd – Book Burning Party on August 5th.’ No one wants to be a part of a town that burns books, and the outraged citizens of Troy pushed back against the ‘idiotic book burners’ and ultimately supported the tax increase, thus ensuring the library’s survival. A You Tube "book burning party” c http://youtu.be/nw3zNNO5gX0

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 23 INDUSTRIAL RMIT tells staff: Be happy, or else!

Melissa Slee NTEU RMIT University Branch President

arlier this year, Senior Managers in RMIT’s Human Resources (HR) made themselves the laughing stock of the sector E and the community with their relentless pursuit of a ‘Behavioural Capability Framework’ (BCF). A series of articles and opinion pieces in The Australian, The Age and Campus Review along with on-line blog sites gave RMIT a good shellacking: for deserting the guiding principles of freedom of inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge that should define all universities and for adopting policies akin to ‘self-help gurus and late-night infomercials’ (Jimmy comments The Age, 30 March).

The BCF is an extraordinarily long list of values, attitudes and behav- roles, where working weeks average about 50 to 60 hours or more, iours that RMIT expects of staff. The BCF urges staff to enthusiastically where there’s constant change in procedures, change in IT interfaces, embrace ‘connectedness’, ‘innovation’ and a ‘commitment to excel- ‘reforms’ in policies and so on, then any moment where we become lence’. Agreeing to the BCF was made compulsory for all staff at RMIT explicitly aware of the politics of individualising responsibility, can via a newly introduced MyPerformanceMyCareer online system. cause people to get pretty upset’. The real barriers to performance Boycott the BCF

The BCF is the centrepiece of RMIT’s plans for ‘realising strategy Whilst promoting a ‘shared vision’ for RMIT, HR took the extraordinary through high performing people’. However, the real barriers to perfor- measure of taking the NTEU to Fair Work Australia to enforce the BCF mance are much more fundamental: bad planning and poor resourc- on an unwilling staff. In response to NTEU’s popular ‘Beat the BCF’ ing of its core functions of service to students, teaching and research. campaign, RMIT even attempted to use Fair Work Australia to disallow As Dr Philip Dearman, lecturer in RMIT’s school of Media and Com- an NTEU meeting and to force the NTEU to direct our members to use munication, pointed out, ‘The document is just one example of many the MyPerformanceMyCareer online system. Even Fair Work Australia forms of communication that signal an attempt to very deliberately thought these measures were extreme and refused. anchor responsibility for outcomes – for student welfare, for learning Meanwhile, opposition grew among RMIT staff and in the broader outcomes, for research incomes and ‘output’, and so on – to the indi- community. A large, angry meeting of NTEU members unanimously vidual worker. And when you’re in a situation where funding is short, voted to condemn the BCF as ‘fundamentally flawed’ and expressed where casual workers now undertake about 40 per cent of teaching outrage at RMIT’s extreme measures to drive it through. A spontane-

‘Employees working in the private sector or in government bureaucracies ‘Academia… must embrace the real world, its perils as well as its plati- will be familiar with such bubble-headed management fads but this is a tudes, and should resist the superficial… education is as varied, creative university for heaven’s sake… Far from being a cradle of free-thinking, and challenging as its subject matter allows; it is the stuff of free speech, RMIT has chosen to suspend disbelief and hop aboard the bandwagon of not enforced happiness by which to measure ‘performance excellent’ or management humbuggery’ any such peripheral marker’ The Age, editorial 30 March Leo D’Angelo Fisher, Business Review Weekly 5-11 April 2012

24 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 INDUSTRIAL

‘Do university administrators and managers really believe attitude can be BCF speaks for itself… dictated? Who is going to be fooled by sideshow-alley clown smiles and bogus positive emanations? Have the originators of such psychobabble From the ludicrously ambitious to the downright inane, here phrases never themselves sat through a lecture by a resolutely grumpy are some of our favourite RMIT behavioural expectations: academic who happened to be so deeply involved in her subject that she For supersonic totally excellent excellence wore a face of terrifying concentration? I have. Often. And I loved it.’ Morag Fraser, My Jargon Rules, The Age, 9 April 2012 ‘Determines the standards that would differentiate and elevate teaching and/or research outcomes beyond internal and exter- nal benchmarks of excellent performance’ Level E and HEW 10 staff Forecasting the future? ous motion from the floor stating that ‘this meeting of NTEU members has lost confidence in the capacity of RMIT HR senior executives ‘Forecasts trends and themes to enable more effective or inclu- to reflect the values of the university community’ was received with sive approaches to solutions’ HEW 8 & 9 cheers and applause. RMIT senior management claimed that the NTEU only represented ‘Anticipates problems and generates preventative ideas to a ‘handful of staff’ in opposing the BCF. Yet, in one of the Fair Work ensure they do not materialise’ HEW 6 & 7 and Level B/C Australia hearings, RMIT was forced to admit that only 4% of staff had completed the MyPerformanceMyCareer online module. In subse- Directive to irritate others quent weeks, despite an intimidating email from HR and an official ‘Encourages others to become enthusiastic and committed to directive from Fair Work Australia, this number only gradually nudged an initiative or task’ Level B/C up to 35%. Passionate embraces… HR Consultants ‘Displays passion for the task at hand’ HEW 5 RMIT, heading up a project for the Australian Technology Network ‘Embraces the day-to-day challenges of the role’ Level A (ATN) universities, paid HR consultants, Mercer Consulting, $147,895 to develop the BCF. The BCF is part of an overarching project funded ‘Drives unwavering commitment and passion for under the Workplace Productivity Project (WPP) scheme developed projects and initiatives’ HEW 8 & 9 and Level D in the final stages of the Howard Government. The main goal of the WPP was to ‘modernise’ human resources in the sector. That is, Yoga anyone? introduce anti-union, anti-staff practices and discredited corporate mumbo jumbo to the campuses. ‘Exhibits flexibility while retaining focus on the ultimate goal to overcome challenges’ HEW 6&7 Coming to your campus? Harder, faster, more!

It is obvious that RMIT was a test case to drive this scheme through ‘Implements actions to accelerate or enhance progress onto other campuses. Enormous resources have been poured into and results’ Level D the development and implementation of the BCF. RMIT NTEU members have made an important statement that wherever manage- Wot??? ments attempt to implement this obnoxious scheme they can expect a similar campaign. ‘Provides a road map to guide others through ambiguity’ Level E RMIT NTEU Branch is hopeful that the momentum and awareness ‘Contributes to defining the bigger picture’ HEW 8 & 9 generated by the campaign will support our efforts to stop the BCF and to address workloads, staffing levels, casualisation and job secu- ‘Translates the complex analysis of organisational issues to create rity during upcoming collective bargaining. A new concepts or approaches not obvious to others’ Executive Endurance test… ‘It’s just managerial trash and there’s nothing more to be said about it, really,’ says (Don) Watson… ‘If I were working in an organisation ‘Maintains effort at a consistent level over time’ HEW 3 & 4 and this were put in front of me … I would just leave.’ ‘Maintains optimism & professionalism in all situations’ HEW 6 & 7 Gabriella Coslovich and Benjamin Preiss, So Happy Together, ‘Remains committed and effective in the face of setbacks and The Age, 3 April 2012 adversity’ HEW 5

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 25 research Monitoring impacts of ERA on university staff

ollowing a motion from National Council last October, the NTEU has begun a project investigating the effects of Excel- F lence in Research Australia (ERA) and recent research quality measures upon university staff involved in academic and research tasks.

Members may remember that in May 2011 Minister Kim Carr aban- ence, physicist Professor Aidan Byrne, was recently announced as the doned the Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) journal rankings new ARC Chief Executive, replacing Dr Margaret Sheil. for the ERA 2012 exercise, stating at the time that the rankings were NTEU recognises this represents an important opportunity to step being ‘deployed inappropriately within some quarters of the sector’ back and explore what is happening throughout the sector, and to and in ways that reflected ‘a poor understanding of the actual role of appraise staff perceptions and attitudes, particularly in relation to its the rankings’. implications for the nature of academic work and professional identity. Throughout 2011 the Union continued to hear from members NTEU is currently collecting responses from DVCs Research about about the use and misuse of journal rankings. Even after its abandon- the extent to which ERA journal rankings and research metrics are ment by the ARC, journal rankings have been utilised in the allocation being applied at universities around the country. The early responses of academic workloads and the evaluation of staff performance. In confirm that a variety of research metrics and indicators of research some notable instances these misuses were implemented at a univer- output are used in the evaluation of staff performance at some insti- sity-wide level through proposed workload allocation models. tutions, though in quite varied ways. This information will be part of Following Carr’s decision, the NTEU wrote to Dr Margaret Sheil the Report that will published at the end of the year. from the Australian Research Council (ARC) advocating that ‘the There are also a number of hour-long focus groups and workshops most robust way for Government to lift confidence would be to that are being coordinated through NTEU National Office and Victorian support an independent investigation into institutional practices Division in June and July. Each focus group will concentrate on the in relation to the management of research, resulting from the 2010 experiences of one of certain kinds of university staff, those in teaching ERA exercise’. and research, teaching-only, and research-only positions. If you work at The 2012 ERA process is now well-advanced. The ARC’s Research a Victorian university, contact Jen Tsen Kwok or the Victorian Division to Evaluation Committees (REC) were announced in February and the see if there is a focus group or workshop near you. A submission phase for ERA 2012 began in March. ANU’s Dean of Sci- Jen Tsen Kwok, Policy & Research Officer, email [email protected]

26 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 Public lecture & Q&A-style public forum www.investinuniversities.org.au/events The significance of university education to regional communities Thursday 2 August, Armidale NSW

Public lecture by Robyn Williams Hosted by Kelly Fuller ABC Science Show ABC New England North West NSW Radio Morning Show

Followed by a Q&A-style public forum featuring representatives from NTEU and the local community, plus special guests:

Tony Windsor MP Prof Jim Barber Federal Independent, Vice-Chancellor, Member for New England University of New England

To book your FREE tickets, please contact Helen McLennan, NTEU UNE Branch email [email protected], phone 02 6773 3175

The unique event is expected to attract This is the first of a series of community Further events are in planning for business and community members in forums organised by NTEU to highlight Mackay, Darwin, Bendigo and other Armidale to an afternoon that will be the significance of universities to the regional centres over the next 12 months. both entertaining and promote the role communities they serve, and allow dis- Details will be made available as the of our higher education system to local cussion about the difficulties staff con- planning develops. communities. tinue to face with inadequate resources. www.investinuniversities.org.au/events

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 27 FUNDING 2012 Federal Budget

reasurer Wayne Swan delivered his 5th Budget on Tuesday 8 March 2012. In order to meet its election commitment of T returning the Budget to surplus in 2012-13, the Government delivered a highly contractionary Budget aimed at turning a $44.4 billion deficit in 2011-12 into a small $1.5 billion surplus in 2012-13.

This $45.9 turnaround in the underlying Despite these budgetary constraints, fund- Promoting maths and science cash budget bottom line is expected to be ing for universities came out of the 2012-13 achieved by $38.8b increase in Common- Budget relatively unscathed. Although there In response to the Chief Scientist’s report, wealth Government receipts and a $7.1b had been much pre-Budget speculation that Mathematics, Engineering and Science, in reduction in tertiary education would suffer significant the National Interest, released at the same Common- cuts, funding for the sector remained largely time as the Budget, the Commonwealth wealth pay- untouched. announced it would invest $54m over four ments. Costs associated with uncapping of the years in the promotion of maths and science, While some number of undergraduate Commonwealth of which $10.9m will be invested in innova- of these savings supported places (demand driven system) tive educational programs for maths and sci- will be achieved have not been reigned in, improved indexa- ence teachers. by bringing tion for learning and teaching and research A further $20m will be used to establish some funding grants has been maintained and increases the Australian Mathematics and Science forward before in additional research block grant funding Partnership Program to support partner- 1 July 2012 (for through the Sustainable Research Excellence ships between universities, schools and example (SRE) program will be delivered, as originally other organisations. bringing promised. one off In response to some of the recommenda- Maths and science students grants tions contained in the Base Funding Review, t o the Budget included some announcements In what might be a considered a some- some in relation to equity funding as well as the what ironic development when juxtaposed univer- allocation of funds for the promotion of against the increased funding for the promo- sities maths and science education in schools and tion of maths and science, the largest contri- forward to universities. bution from the higher education sector to the 2011- the Government’s savings task is through an 12 Financial Equity programmes increase in HECS fees for students enrolled in year) or delay- maths, science and statistics. ing expenditure after The Treasurer announced a number of The November 2011 Mid-Year Economic 2012-13 (for example, in foreign aid), the changes to equity support programs, includ- and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) included the Commonwealth has nonetheless set itself a ing setting the Higher Education Participa- removal of the national priority discount rate savings target of some $33b over the 4 year tion and Partnerships Programs (HEPPP) low of HECS for maths, statistics and science sub- forward estimates to 2015–16. SES loading at a rate of $1,400 per low SES jects commencing on 1 January 2013. The savings task set by this Budget not student, (down from the current average rate HECS charges in 2013 for these students only needs to fund lower revenue growth but of approximately $1,800) which is expected will increase from a National Priority rate also pay for the Government’s policy objec- to save some $68m over 4 years. $50m of of $4,696 per student to the Band 2 rate of tives and ‘redirection’ of funding including these saving will be redirected to Partnership $8,361 per student. This represents an 80% the following big ticket items: Programs between universities and schools increase in the cost of studying maths and • Changes to Family Tax benefits ($1.8b to or TAFES, or other communities groups. science at university for students enrolling 2015-16). Funding for the enabling loadings will from 2013, which amounts to about $15,000 • Schoolkids bonus ($2.1b). increase by $42m over four years, which it is for a four year degree. This measure was • National Disability Insurance Scheme anticipated will result in the average enabling estimated to save the Commonwealth in ($1b) loading rising from its current rate of about the order of $400 million over 4 years. The • Upgrade of Pacific Hwy ($2.7b). $1,800 to approximately $3,100 by 2014. continued over page...

28 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 casual staff People in insecure work putting their lives on hold

major public inquiry into insecure employment has found that people in casual, labour hire and contracting jobs are A literally putting their lives on hold because they have no job or income security to plan for the future.

The Independent The report recom- Inquiry into Insecure mends a series of legis- ...continued from previous page Work, Lives on Hold: lative changes, and that rationale underlying this announcement was Unlocking the poten- Australia needs greater that the National Priority HECS rate was not tial of Australia’s Work- investment in its work- having the desired effect of attracting a sub- force, chaired by former force. Australia’s welfare stantially higher number of students to enrol deputy Prime Minister system needs reform and in maths and science degrees. Brian Howe, submit- we need to improve the On Budget night, the Treasurer announced ted its report and bargaining system so that the grandparenting clause that applied recommendations to workers can pursue their to students enrolled prior to 2013 in maths, the ACTU Congress in rights. Casual workers science and statistics courses would not May. The Inquiry’s find- need more protections; apply and therefore all students, regardless ings are that the new sham contracting needs of when they enrolled, would be expected to divide among Aus- to be tackled; and greater pay the higher rate from 2013. tralian workers is the protection is required for This retrospective increase in fees for stu- gap between those in people who get their work dents already enrolled in these subjects secure employment through labour hire. is estimated to save the Government an and the 40% of the The ACTU Congress com- additional $315m. This means that, taking workforce that endures insecure employ- mitted the union movement to campaign- into account both the MYEFO and 2012-13 ment. ing to improve job security for people in Budget announcement, the higher HECS The report is the result of the most thor- insecure work. An industrial and legislative fees being paid by maths and science stu- ough analysis of the issue of insecure work, agenda was endorsed by the Congress that dents will save the Commonwealth $715m its causes, its effects on individuals, com- includes these immediate priorities: over the next four years. munities, workplaces and the economy, ever • Improved regulation of the labour market undertaken in Australia. that provides all workers with a universal Other initiatives The Inquiry panel, comprising Brian Howe, set of protections and entitlements. former Industrial Relations Commissioner • Reducing and removing the ability of There were a number of other announce- Paul Munro, Union activist Jill Biddington employers to shift economic risk onto ments contained in the Budget that affect and academic Sarah Charlesworth, received their workforce. the sector, including removing the eligibil- 521 submissions from groups and individu- • Measures to provide better protections ity of Australian citizens residing overseas to als and held six weeks of public hearings to workers employed indirectly through HECS-HELP loans to study at an Australian across 23 locations around Australia, with labour hire and agency arrangements. university. experts, community groups and workers all • To eliminate disguised employment This is not meant to apply to domestic stu- shedding light on the issues. arrangements like sham contracting. A dents undertaking some of their program as The report noted that it’s a blight on a Michael Evans, National Organiser exchange students, but rather Australian citi- nation as prosperous as Australia that 40% of The Howe Inquiry and the ACTU Secure Jobs campaign zens enrolled at an Australian university but the workforce does not have the same rights c www.actu.org.au/Campaigns/ residing overseas. A as those in secure jobs – and some have little SecureJobsBetterFuture Paul Kniest, Policy & Research Coordinator or none. NTEU UniCasual website c www.unicasual.org.au

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 29 gender equity Push to improve gender equity at work

he Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace (EOWW) Amendment Bill 2012 has been introduced to Parliament T and has been the subject of a Senate Inquiry. The Bill is intended to amend the existing Act and better encourage employers to remove barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce.

Despite the introduction of the Affirmative essary in order to ensure that all large Review of EOWW and EOWA Action (Equal Opportunity for Women) Act employers took their obligations to women 1986 (known as EOWW) almost a quarter of a employees seriously, and that outdated As a result of intense pressure by unions, century ago, equal opportunity in the work- conventions and prejudices should not community organisations and activists over place is yet to be achieved. Indeed, the latest impede the participation of women in the a number of years, on 6 June 2009 the Gov- data on equity shows that women continue workforce. ernment announced a new review of the Act, to be disadvantaged in the workplace: The EOWW Act was reviewed in 1999, and including a review of the Equal Opportunity • Despite making up half the workforce, was subsequently amended in recognition for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA). women in full-time paid work still earn that regulatory change was needed in order The review’s two key terms of reference were: 17.6% less than men in full-time paid to drive action. A key term of reference for • Consider the effectiveness of the existing work, amounting to over one million dol- the 1999 review was to reduce the regula- legislation and arrangements in deliver- lars less over a lifetime. tory burden on business whilst achieving ing equal opportunity for women. • While women are now more likely to have better outcomes for equality. • Consider opportunities to reduce the a tertiary qualification than men, women As it stands, the EOWW Act requires rel- cost of existing regulation and/or ways graduates will earn $2,000 less than male evant employers to promote equal opportu- to ensure that any new legislation is cost- graduates and $7,400 less by the fifth year nity for women in the workforce. Its principal effective and well targeted. after graduation. objectives are to: The review examined the effectiveness • Women retire with less than half the • Promote merit-based employment. and efficiency of the legislation in promot- amount of savings in their superannua- • Promote the provision of equal employ- ing equal opportunity for women in the tion accounts than men. ment opportunity for women and the workplace, with a view to identifying aspects • Women are four times as likely to experi- elimination of direct and indirect discrimi- which were working and those which ence sexual harassment and discrimina- nation. required a renewed focus. It was overseen tion in the workplace compared to men. • Foster consultation between employers by a project reference group which included While the current EOWW legislation has on issues relating to equal opportunity representatives from the Australian Council been a significant improvement on previ- for women. of Trade Unions (ACTU), the Australian Indus- ous legislation intended to address gender Relevant employers are deemed to be try Group (AIG), the Business Council of Aus- equity in the workforce, the persistent ineq- organisations with 100 or more employees, tralia and other key stakeholders. uities that continue to exist have led to but do not include public sector employers. A large number of submissions were calls for review and revision. Furthermore, They are collectively known as ‘reporting made to the review, and a variety of new, emerging equal employment oppor- organisations’, and their identification relies approaches to pursuing gender equality tunity concerns, such as the growth of primarily on disclosure and self-identifica- canvassed. Ultimately, there was strong casualisation in feminised industries, is yet tion by organisations. support for the existing approach, ‘based to be addressed. Despite the presence of the Act, however, significantly on reporting, education and gender inequity has remained, and in recent cultural change, but with modernisation Equal employment legislation times has in fact increased. It is obvious that and refinement to make it more effective the regulatory changes intended by the Act and more efficient. The EOWW Act was originally enacted in have fallen short of their intended goals, and Acting on the review, in 2010 the Gov- 1986. At the time, it was considered nec- thus revision was necessary. ernment made a commitment to support

30 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 gender equity gender equality and workforce participation Current status of the Bill tives have been in place for some time, yet and flexibility by amending and improv- progress on gender equality outcomes has ing the Act. In doing so, the Government On 1 March 2012, the Senate referred stagnated. announced a package of reforms to: the Equal Opportunity for Women in the The Committee therefore recommended • Amend the name and objects of the Act. Workplace Amendment Bill 2012 (the Bill) that the Bill be passed, although disappoint- • Improve the coverage of the Act. to the Senate Education, Employment and ingly, there was dissent by the Coalition • Enhance the Agency’s advice and educa- Workplace Relations Legislation Committee members on the Committee, who advocated tion functions. for inquiry and report by 8 May 2012. for a voluntary, incentive based approach to • Simplify and streamline reporting, and The Committee found these reforms gender equity, despite the fact that the gap • Clarify the compliance framework. within the Bill did aim to strengthen the in gender equity has been increasing. A full report on the Review is available laws and institutions that promote gender The Bill is now currently before the House of on the Department of Families, Housing, equality in Australia’s workplaces. While Representatives for debate, and is proving to Community Services and Indigenous Affairs some industry representatives argued that be a contentious one. It is hoped by all who website. the way to improve equity was to focus have worked so hard on improving gender on providing incentives for employers equity that it will be passed, despite the Coali- Recommended changes to address gender equality issues rather tion voicing its strong opposition to the Leg- than legislating for action, the Commit- islation, stating in its view that ‘...that gender As a result of the Review, the Equal Oppor- tee found that incentives for employers to equality should be an aspirational goal.’ A tunity for Women in the Workplace Amend- comply already exist in the form of long Terri MacDonald, Policy & Research Officer ment Bill 2012 has been drafted and term productivity benefits, workplace har- For further information c www.nteu.org.au/article/ introduced to Parliament. mony and the opportunity to tender for EOWA-Media-Release---Gender-pay-gap-short- The Bill seeks to amend the Equal Oppor- Commonwealth contracts. These incen- changes-women-%24250.50-a-week-12733 tunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (the Act) to reflect a proposed new focus of the Act on improving gender equality in the workplace. It reflects the extensive consultation undertaken during and after the 2009 review of the Act, and specific recognition is made of equality in remuneration and the centrality of family responsibilities to the achievement of gender equality. The following proposed amendments reflect this focus: • The name of the Act to be amended to Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012. • The coverage of the Act to be amended to include all employers and employees in the workplace (noting this does not cover public service employees). • The introduction of a new reporting framework in which relevant employers are required to report against gender equality indicators. • The introduction of amendments relating to transparency regarding compliance with the Act and the consequences of non-compliance. The Bill also seeks to change the name of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and the title of the Director of the Agency to the Director of Workplace Gender Equality.

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 31 WOMEN’S ACTION COMMITTEE

13–17 AUGUST

CELEBRATING WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION WITH A WEEK OF DEBATES, EXHIBITIONS, FILM NIGHTS, PERFORMANCES, FOOD, SPEAKERS & MORE.

Artwork by Maryann Long, www.maplus.com.au

32 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 WOMEN’S ACTION COMMITTEE

www.nteu.org.au/bluestockingweek

atch out on campuses, this August for blue clad legs, balloons, laughter and fury as women staff and students cel- W ebrate our achievements in higher education. Together with the National Union of Students (NUS), NTEU is not only relaunching Bluestocking Week, but revitalising it too. Many NTEU members may remember Bluestocking Week from our own student days, but we now need to make it relevant for a new generation of students and staff.

From the 1980s through to the last decade Australian women stu- nism through education; and rebelling against social constructs that dents held Bluestocking Week across the country. This was an prescribe roles for women’ including those of class, race, sexuality and opportunity to recognise the pioneering women that came before culture, that restrict women’s freedom of expression and thought – us, campaign and celebrate women’s scholarship and participa- and we will add a modern (or postmodern) twist. tion in higher education. Bluestocking Week largely disappeared as The term bluestocking comes from a tradition of scholarly women resources for women students to organise on campus dried up due to being disparagingly referred to as ‘bluestockings’ from the 18th cen- the anti-student organisation (VSU) legislation of the previous Coali- tury as women started organising literary societies and began cam- tion Government. paigning for women’s access to university. The first generations of This was a real loss, because Bluestocking Week drew attention to women university students and teachers were called “bluestockings’. what women had won and were still fighting for in higher education. There is some controversy about the exact etymology, but the salient It was not just about access and numbers of women at universities, point is that serious intellectual women claimed the term for them- but also about what was being taught and researched, and by whom. selves to identify with being scholarly, inquisitive and clever. There is With more women than men now graduating with first degrees, a long history of bluestocking societies, publications and events, not women have come a long way from the original bluestockings who only in the West, but even a magazine in Japan around the turn of the had to argue against the learned men who claimed women’s brains 20th century. were smaller so they were incapable of higher learning – and if they Bluestocking Week is coordinated by the national Women’s Action tried their wombs would atrophy as too much energy flooded to Committee which has representatives from each Division. Events are the head! Most of these nutty ideas have disappeared from our being organised at National, Divisional and university Branch levels. universities (I hope!), but there remains far too much gender based Contact your Branch to get involved and make suggestions. For more discrimination and prejudice in the curriculum, the structures and information and to see what is being planned go to the Blue Stocking resources. Week website. A This year’s Bluestocking Week will focus on the original bluestock- Jeannie Rea, National President ing themes of celebrating women’s intellectualism; advancing femi- Bluestocking Week website c www.nteu.org.au/bluestockingweek

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 33 INDIGENOUS Muckaty nuclear waste dump

n June 2012, traditional land owners from Manuwangku will dispute the Northern Lands Council (NLC) agreement with I the Federal Government to permit a nuclear waste dump on their land.

It is a sad indictment of the little progress storage facilities as a wedge to commit Aus- want nuclear waste stored near them. But it made in the twenty years since the Mabo deci- tralia to the industry. is not up to Indigenous people to bear the sion that finds Indigenous peoples in conflict The National Radioactive Waste Manage- brunt of the problem. over land ownership in a Melbourne court ment Bill was passed through both Houses of Commentators have pointed out that the The NLC did act on behalf of one family Parliament in March. The traditional owners doctrine of terra nullus still seems to be in of traditional owners of Manuwangku, also have petitioned the Governor-General not to the minds of those who make comments like known as Muckaty Station, 120 kilometres give her assent. Brendan Nelson who was reported saying from Tennant Creek in the Northern Terri- It appears that some of the supporters that Muckaty is in ‘the middle of nowhere’. tory. They signed off in exchange for millions of the waste dump have been conned by Article 29 of the United Nations Declara- of dollars, but that money, if it ever materi- the argument that it is needed for medical tion on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples alises, will not end up controlled by most of waste. However, nuclear medical specialists says that ‘no storage or disposal of hazardous the Muckaty community. argue that the very low levels of radiation of materials shall take place in the lands or ter- Too much media and political focus has most medical waste deteriorate quickly and ritories of Indigenous peoples without their been upon the dispute amongst Indigenous so need containment immediately and close free, prior and informed consent.’ peoples, and not upon the reprehensible to their site of usage. Indigenous people are once again being behaviour of the current and previous fed- The dangerous spent fuel rods made of dumped upon by White Australia. A eral governments in trying to divert atten- Australian uranium due to be returned to Jeannie Rea, National President tion from their problem of dealing with Australia in the next few years are a very dif- Below: Muckaty traditional owners (in Melbourne for meetings nuclear waste from Australian uranium. Even ferent prospect and do need to be stored about their federal court case against the nuclear waste dump) more devious, in fanning this diversion, are very carefully and for a very long time. Not pose in front of an ACF billboard in Northcote. (L to R) Gladys those nuclear industry advocates who see even the advocates of the nuclear industry Brown, Mark Lane, Jeannie Sambo, Dianne Stokes, Doris Kelly. Photo ©Dominic O’Brien, www.dominicobrienphoto.com

34 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 INTERNATIONAL Inquiry into international student education

nternational students and their education has become an area of intense scrutiny for both the Government and the I sector, particularly in the wake of a decline in the growth of student numbers. In October 2011, in an effort to determine what may be done to overcome the slowdown, the Federal Government formed the International Education Advisory Coun- cil (IEAC), headed by Michael Chaney AO.

The Council’s brief is to provide advice to supportive of the outcomes of the review by are Australian citizens, international students the Australian Government to help inform the Hon Bruce Baird AM, we believe that the do not enjoy complete social and economic the development of a five year national strat- underlying issues we outlined in our submis- security in this country. In addition, by being egy to support the sustainability and quality sion to the Baird Review have not yet been away from their country of residence, their of the international education sector. As part fully examined or acted upon. security is not fully catered for by the nations of this process, the Council recently released NTEU notes that there have been a sub- in which they are citizens. its Discussion Paper The Development of an stantive number of reviews and legisla- International Education Strategy for Australia, tive changes have occurred since this time, Students’ rights and called for a response from the sector and including most recently the Knight Review business groups. of the Student Visa Program (2011) which It is important to note that there is no bilat- The paper covers a number of broad based has led to some significant changes in the eral or multilateral framework whereby themes and raises questions that explore arrangements around student visas. These international students’ rights to social and issues of concern, for the sector and interna- have focused primarily upon regulatory economic security are fully catered for, nor tional students themselves. While the Union change. do the international agencies and bodies is pleased that the Advisory Council appears As such NTEU’s broader concerns regard- take up questions of student security. to have covered broader areas of concern to ing international student education remain, For example, while the International international students and the sector, partic- and thus in this submission we again high- Labour Agency (ILO) has a longstanding con- ularly the focus on engaging with students light our concerns regarding the following: cern about the rights of migrants, students in terms of their experience and the need to • Higher education funding broadly and are specifically excluded from its definition ensure there is the appropriate infrastructure funding arrangements in relation to the of ‘migrants’. and services to accommodate their needs, nature and quality of international educa- As such, NTEU advocates for a re-exam- there is still within the paper, a very market tion. ination of current legislative frameworks, driven attitude to International students. • The nature of international education in practices and support systems that cater to Australia. international students, with a view to guar- NTEU submission to the enquiry • The strategic role of TEQSA in relation to anteeing their social and economic rights. A international education. Terri MacDonald, Policy & Research Officer NTEU’s submission is focused primar- • International student housing, employ- ily on how the student experience may ment, mobility and other student welfare be improved, as well as noting regulatory issues. changes and the importance of mobility • The legal gap in the status and rights of for both students and academic staff. The international students living and working importance of research and development in for extensive periods in Australia. an international context is also an important • The connection between student visa consideration for the Union. conditions and migration pathways. In our submission to the 2009 Baird NTEU views the right to work, study and Review of the ESOS Act, NTEU recommended live in a safe environment, as well as the the need for a substantive and comprehen- right to have access to appropriate welfare sive re-evaluation of Australian international services and frameworks, as fundamental education system. While we were largely human rights. However, unlike students who

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 35 INTERNATIONAL ‘Political donors lacking academic experience’ Uni Pres ousted in power play

hocking dramatics in the leadership of the University of Virginia (UVA), one of America’s oldest and most prestigious S public universities, have made national headlines. The popular and recently appointed President, Teresa Sullivan, was ousted by an opaque power play from the Board of Visitors and its Rector, real estate developer Helen Dragas.

The UVA Board of Visitors includes a coal could be adapted to new Internet-based company magnate, a Wall Street profes- techniques. They did not appoint a commis- sional, a lawyer for General Electric, a nurs- sion to make recommendations or conduct a ing home executive, a beer distribution study of their own.’ entrepreneur and other business elites. Only four have professional experience in higher Faculty responds education. The decision has been universally condemned, and yet the Board continues to UVA staff and students rebelled against the meet in secret and refuses to give even the coup fiercely and swiftly. Provost John Simon simplest justifications for their actions. threatened to resign, the Faculty Senate Sullivan stepped down after just two years passed a vote of no confidence in the board, in office, citing ‘philosophical differences’ and the school’s student-run honour com- with the institution’s governing Board of initiatives to bolster the faculty’s ability to mittee accused the board of compromising Visitors. Yet a plot to force her out had been teach more intimately, cede greater budget the school’s ‘community of trust.’ The Cavalier building in secret for months, according to discretion to the academic departments, and Daily ran an editorial calling for the resigna- emails released by UVA at the request of the attempted to close what many acknowledge tion of every member of the Board of Visitors. Cavalier Daily, the student newspaper. to be a ‘reputation gap’ with graduate pro- Kington stepped down on June 19. ‘Members of the board,’ report Zach Carter grams. Pushing for more budget control and Despite her affection for cost-cutting, and Jason Linkins in the Huffington Post, better quality programs won Sullivan strong Dragas hired Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a ‘steeped in a culture of corporate jargon and allies within the student body and faculty.’ crisis management public relations firm. buzzy management theories, wanted the According to The Hook, a Charlottesville school to institute austerity measures and re- Strangling innovation weekly magazine, the bill for those services engineer its academic offerings around inex- ‘will run from $50,000 to $100,000, and will pensive, online education... Led by Rector According to the emails obtained by the be paid by the University of Virginia Founda- Helen Dragas, ...the board shared a guiding Cavalier Daily, the rationale for the leadership tion,’ a non-profit corporation that adminis- vision that the university could, and indeed change is as strange as the secrecy. Dragas ters the school’s economic assets. should, be run like a Fortune 500 company.’ and Kington appear to have built their case But according to the Huffington Post, ‘the For some university staff, the controversy against Sullivan from just a few media arti- pricey PR has failed to quell the uproar. Much is emblematic of how the cult of corporate cles that offer vague praise for the use of of the furor has been fuelled by the board’s expertise and private-sector savvy has cor- online education. continued refusal to publicly explain why its ralled the upper reaches of university life, A Chronicle of Higher Education article, members felt Sullivan had fallen short.’ at the expense of academic freedom and which Dragas sent co-conspirator Vice ‘unprofitable’ areas of study. Rector, Mark Kington, characterised the tra- Update ‘There is this sort of shift in the zeitgeist,’ ditional pursuit of academic excellence as says Tal Brewer, chair of UVA’s Philosophy something that ‘strangled’ innovation, and UVA Board of Visitors will consider reinstat- Department. Brewer sees a new, heightened argued that ‘the pace of change is stuck ing President Teresa Sullivan at a meeting in cultural ‘adoration of the business mind as somewhere between sluggish and glacial.’ late June, even as the board’s leader defends capable of bringing clarity, organisation and Carter and Linkins believe ‘none of the her actions in asking Sullivan to step down. A efficiency to any kind of institution...I just emails between Dragas and Kington sug- think that’s a deep mistake.’ gest that either read serious studies on tech- Source: Huffington Post The Huffington Post reports that during her nological opportunities in the classroom, Photo: Staff and students rally for Teresa Sullivan on first two years at UVA, ‘Sullivan undertook or considered how UVA’s current programs Jefferson’s Lawn, UVA, 18 June 2012 © Jessie Chapman, Flickr

36 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 INTERNATIONAL UTAS students’ Ugandan Rural Health Project Microscopes & mozzie nets

hroughout December 2011 and January 2012 a group of four Tasmanian medical students, representing The Interna- T tional Society for Student Unity and Empowerment (ISSUE) Foundation, initiated projects for infectious disease prevention and support of the local community in Uganda. The budget for the projects was based on $10,000 fundraised in Australia. Malaria prevention

Our main initiative involved education about methods of malaria prevention and provision of Long Lasting Insecticide-treated Nets (LLIN). We decided to hold workshops within the rural communities in cooperation with the local leaders of each community. Each workshop began with a discussion about malaria transmission, signs, symptoms and prevention. We then demonstrated how to use the LLIN. Following this the nets were distributed, at minimum one to every family, with priority being given to those families with pregnant women and children under the age of five. In addition to the 1100 nets distributed through the workshops, we also provided nets and essential equipment for survival to 50 elderly people during home visits.

HIV testing & counselling of funding, while the mirror feature of the microscope that we donated has allowed them to continue working and serving their community. Another objective was voluntary HIV counselling, testing and education (VCT). We did this by supporting The AIDS Support Organisation Skills development (TASO) to attend our health workshops with their mobile VCT clinic. TASO attended a total of 5 clinics, serving 372 people, whilst enroll- The Anaweza Talents and Skills Development Project was established ing those who tested positive (19 in total) into free ongoing support two years ago by Julius Kiwanuka and is supported by nearby com- programmes within the organsation. munities. The project holds activities for more than 50 children as well The program involved an initial whole-group pre-test counselling as youth and single mothers. Activities range from textiles and building and then individual testing with subsequent confidential post-test skills to drug abuse counselling, sexual education and family planning. counselling, regardless of status. One of the activities is The Anaweza Dance Troupe who performs tribal dances, guided by a volunteer choreographer. This encourages Donated microsopes a sense of purpose in the children, while keeping them away from the streets and from drugs and alcohol abuse. The goal is to build After meeting with the Masaka District Medical Officer, Dr Stuart reputation to allow them to charge fees for the performances. This Musisi, we identified that the two ‘Health Centre Four’ facilities of will reduce the dependence on donations to cover the costs of the the Masaka region would be the best for allocation of two donated participation in activities and the food provided for the children. microscopes that could be operated by either electricity or mirror. Prior to our project, the dance troupe had to use donations from Each centre had a laboratory equipped with one microscope oper- the community and NGOs to rent costumes and instruments. We ated solely on electricity, and plenty of electricity blackouts which decided to assist the organisation to better use the donations they rendered the old microscopes useless on many occasions. receive through a contribution of dancing outfits, shoes and musi- By obtaining a second microscope, each health centre has the abil- cal instruments because we were deeply impressed from the positive ity to more efficiently diagnose malaria as well as other infectious dis- educational values that this program holds. A eases. We have already received notice from one of the health centres Yoni Byron, Alice McGushin, Bree Cumming, Katie Daw. that their new microscope has already become essential at the clinic. For more information or to make a donation please visit c www.theissuefoundation.org This is because the power was permanently disconnected due to lack or email [email protected]

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 37 newsNATIONAL from COUNCIL the net PAT WRIGHT

2012 Digital Campus Report

he Chronicle of Higher Education is an online publication from the US which publishes a Weekly Briefing of higher educa- T tion news and views and a number of free email newsletters, including one on technology called Wired Campus. They also publish an annual Report called The Digital Campus, the 2012 edition of which was recently released.

This edition is particularly interesting for its balanced view of the use Other institutions, however, are combining technology and peda- of technology in higher education – not for them the wild-eyed tech- gogy to very good effect. Those that function both on-campus and nophile E-vangelist spreading the gospel of Saints Gates or Jobs, nor on-line would seem to have an advantage over those solely on-line the crusty old cynic bad-mouthing everything that blinks. Rather is at this stage, but are in danger of construing the process as one-way there a number of sober, thoughtful assessments of the various uses, delivery, such as televising face-to-face teaching on-campus and misuses and abuses of various technologies in various settings in making the video available to off-campus (second-class) students higher education in the US. online. Such an arrangement might satisfy the institution’s bean- Many of these developments have been driven by students rather counters briefly, but is not educationally-sustainable. than by academics. Yesterday, students might have done a quick The most promising developments are in the use of social media in search of Wikipedia to find an answer to a question. Today, students higher education – ironically, the birthplace of social media but hith- might take a whole online course from MIT or the University of Wis- erto shunned by the institutions. consin at Madison, or Oxford University to improve their understand- One of the most interesting contributions to The Digital Campus ing of a topic, or browse through 2012 is from Richard A DeMillo, head several online university courses of the Center for 21st Century Uni- to see which approach to devel- The balance of roles played by staff is versities at Georgia Tech entitled ‘So oping an understanding of a con- changing – less of the sole source of You’ve Got Technology, So What?’. cept ‘does it for them’. He opines that disruptive digital In former days, staff might knowledge, more of the mentor and technology will do to higher educa- have censured the student for collaborator. The teaching/learning tion what it has done to bookselling, using Wikipedia. Today, more relationship is less concerned (not retailing and newspapers. and more staff are noting the unconcerned) with what is found out and These business models have been weblinks to the online lectures transformed through search engine and demonstrations which have more concerned with how it was found analytics, which accumulate personal worked for their current students out – what was once called the Inquiry demographics and match them to so that they can make sugges- Method. desired products and services. The tions to future students. Kaplan demographics are self-managed U takes this even further and through social media and the combi- matches the socio-economic profile of the student with the online nation of who you are and what you do (or consume) establishes a course which has proven most successful for that demographic of virtual identity, or at least persona. past students. Google remembers your searches and thus makes future searches The balance of roles played by staff is changing – less of the sole quicker and more satisfying, Amazon remembers your searches and source of knowledge, more of the mentor and collaborator. The purchases and thus makes recommended future purchases, Face- teaching/learning relationship is less concerned (not unconcerned) book remembers your Friends, Events, Causes and Status Updates, with what is found out and more concerned with how it was found and makes it easier to contact more. out – what was once called the Inquiry Method. If a higher education institution brought together your student Of course, such pedagogy is quite possible without technological information, academic record, lecture timetable, library borrowings, gadgets and gizmos, and too often the technology has been (mis) web searches, tutorial discussions, essays and assignments, field trips, used in a didactic rather than a collaborative fashion. The number and messages in one virtual identity shared with other individuals, of US higher education institutions with fingers burned on over- Groups and Circles under your control, then you would be able to expenditure on technology is mounting. jointly manage your learning with a 21st Centrury University. Many over-spent their rivals to acquire gadgets, without much The Digital Campus 2012 is US$6.95 @ www.chronicle-store.com. A thought about how those gadgets could be used. Consequently, Pat Wright is Director of the Centre for Labour Research at the University of Adelaide. there is some disillusionment with the digital education revolu- email: [email protected] tion.

38 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 lowering the boom IAN LOWE NATIONAL COUNCIL

Health of Australian science

ustralia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, recently launched his eagerly-anticipated report on the Health of Austral- A ian Science. It was celebrated on his web site as ‘a comprehensive overview of Australia’s science system, outlining our strengths and vulnerabilities’.

The overall conclusions painted a rosy picture. Professor Chubb to 24 per cent, for Chemistry it has declined from 22.9 to 17.2 per told the National Press Club in Canberra that the Australian science cent and for Physics from 20.8 to 14.2 per cent. Those percentages system is healthy and robust. He said that our research scientists are are still declining. ‘some of the most productive in the world’ and urged his audience of If students don’t take science subjects in Year 12, they certainly journalists and decision-makers to be ‘proud of what our scientists, won’t study them at university. The tertiary figures confirm a trend our engineers and our mathematicians achieve’. away from such areas as the basic sciences, engineering and agri- He was able to say that research funding has at least kept pace culture. Student numbers in engineering grew, but by less than with inflation, so that total expenditure on science-related R&D in the overall growth in undergraduate numbers, while enrolments Australia is now about $25 billion a year. But, as we all know, there in agriculture were more than 30 per cent below the 2002 figure has been a steady and systematic decline in the funding of basic by 2010. And gender balance is still an issue in the enabling sci- research. Chubb noted that success rates of ARC grant applications ences, engineering and IT. Women are 46 per cent of chemistry have declined since 2002 from 32 per cent to 23 per cent. What sort students, 35 per cent in maths, 24 per cent in physics and only of system forces our best research- 14 per cent in IT and engineer- ers to apply for the support they ing. Since we aren’t producing need and fails more than three- So what is the case for slowly strangling enough professional engineers quarters of them? Funding of the our capacity for basic and strategic to meet the demands of the NH&MRC has enabled success modern economy, the failure of rates to remain roughly constant in research? Could anyone seriously argue degree courses to attract women the same period. that our understanding of the world we is a serious problem. I can remember when the lion’s live in is so complete that we can scale The Chubb report raises some share of research funding came back our efforts? Or that our bank of fundamental questions. It asks, from the Commonwealth Govern- ‘What are the direct implications ment. Today it only accounts for 30 intellectual capital is sufficiently robust for Australia in connection with per cent. So any objective observer that all our needs for development and important national concerns – would say that successive govern- improvement can clearly be satisfied? food security, innovation, our ments have failed to support basic place in the region – if our skills research in universities and CSIRO, base in crucial science disci- and therefore they are increasingly reliant on outside funding. As a plines is further depleted?’ Any reasonable person would say that colleague observed some years ago, ‘We have been starved out of the implications are obvious and linked to the rhetorical question the ivory tower’. asked by the report, ‘Do student choices align with the national The Chubb report correctly says that ‘basic and strategic research interest?’ I think it is clear that they don’t. augments our understanding of the world we live in’ and ‘adds to The decline in sciences, agriculture and engineering combined the bank of intellectual capital on which society draws to develop, with an increasing concentration on law and commerce will pro- improve and transform’. So what is the case for slowly strangling our duce a workforce unable to meet our basic needs but able to take capacity for basic and strategic research? Could anyone seriously complicated legal steps to blame somebody else for the deficien- argue that our understanding of the world we live in is so complete cies. We are paying a heavy price for the Dawkins reforms like the that we can scale back our efforts? Or that our bank of intellectual introduction of HECS, which reframed education from a collective capital is sufficiently robust that all our needs for development and investment in our national capacity to a personal investment in improvement can clearly be satisfied? earning potential. Future generations will suffer for the continuing The report fails to make a case for more adequate funding of short-sighted neglect of the basic sciences. A basic research overall, limiting its concerns to the most serious Ian Lowe is Emeritus Professor of Science, Technology and Society problems like the decline of the ‘enabling sciences’ – maths, phys- at Griffith University. ics and chemistry. The issue is a deep-seated one. Since 1992 the percentage of Year 12 students taking Biology has fallen from 35.3

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 39 GUESTNATIONAL COLUMNIST COUNCIL ian dobson, editor, australian universities’ review 54 years of union academic journals archived online

ith its 55th year of publication coming up next year, Australian Universities’ Review (AUR) can rightly be described as a W mature journal. It has certainly been around for much longer than most of Australia’s periodic collections of scholarly writing on universities. AUR’s editorial policy is to encourage debate and discussion about issues in higher education, and its pages contain both scholarly articles and other contributions, including short commentary and satire. AUR represents the broadest possible cross section of the staff of the Australian university sector.

AUR has deep penetration and impact, Of course, AUR has already published a schol- because it is also Australia’s largest and most arly paper about its own first 50 years. Past editor, widely accessible journal. The hard copy current editorial board member, and regular print run is in the order of 8,000 each issue, contributor Simon Marginson provided ‘Austral- and of course, it is available, free of charge, ian Universities’ Review: a life (so far)’, which was on the web (www.aur.org.au). As if this isn’t published in volume 50, number 2 (2008), my enough, the full archive of AUR in its cur- first issue as editor. Simon’s paper reminds us of rent and previous guises is also available many of the issues of the day, going back further from the website. It has taken more than than most of us can remember and I commend two years to complete the almost thank- it to you. less task of digitising all the back issues. With its age and accessibility, AUR is almost A few bound copies the NTEU’s physi- like a historical encyclopaedia of Australia’s cal archive had their hard covers removed higher education. For this reason, recent AUR before binding. With a little help from the Editorial Board meetings included discussion State Library of Victoria and the National about the possibility of producing the entire Library of Australia, we now have a com- back run on compact disc. To enhance the util- plete digital archive, all the way back to ity of this wonderful history, we are also pre- the beginning, bar the covers for a hand- paring an extensive index of the contents of ful of issues. If you happen to have copies AUR over the years. We hope this project will be of these in your library, we’d love to scan their covers – we’re just completed by the end of 2013, at which time we anticipate hold- missing covers for the four issues of volume 2, 1958. ing a formal launch. The first issue hit the streets in February 1958 as volume 1, number The existence of a digitised Australian Universities’ Review pre- 1 of the Federal Council Bulletin (The Journal of the Federal Council of sents our sector and higher education researchers everywhere with University Staff Associations of Australia). It was a modest offering, a brilliant resource, and dare one say it: a unique repository that just 17 pages in length (including several pages of tables about the explains the evolution of our universities. In this highly convenient impact of the newly-released Murray Report), plus a paper cover. digital age, a single compact disc will hold an annotated history of There were five issues that year, but by issue number 5, the title had higher education in Australia. It will be a ‘must have’ for private and become Vestes (Bulletin of the Federal Council of University Staff Asso- public libraries everywhere. A ciations of Australia). Volume 4, number 1 saw the cover describing Ian Dobson, AUR editor the journal as Vestes, the Australian Universities’ Review, a moniker AUR archive c www.aur.org.au/archive that persisted until volume 28, number 2, in 1985, when Vestes was dropped.

vol. 54, no. 1, 2012 Volume 49, Num Published by NTEU bers 1 & 2, 2007 ISSN 0818–8068 Special Issue Contemporary issues in doctoral education AUSTRALIAN UNIVE aurRSITIES REVIEW

The future face of higher education The crisis in our universities: who’s to blame? The Humanities: the poor relations of innovation policy AustralianAUR Universities’ Review AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIESHow not to fund REVIEW teaching and learning ISSN 0818-8068 AUR

PUBLISHED BY NTEU

The Howard Era – In Retrospect? Higher Education Policy’s Groundhog Days So farewell, Mr Robinson: The Monash plagiarism debacle

ISSN 0818-8068 Volume 46, Number 2, 2004

Published by NTEU

40 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 letter from new zealanD/aotearoa SANDRA GREY, TEU NATIONAL COUNCIL Democratic councils are crucial to academic independence

ew Zealand’s Minister of Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce, recently said he intends to reform university councils because N he believes they are ‘large and unwieldy’.

In 2009, the Government pushed through similar changes for poly- expensive ministerially-appointed bureaucrats. Unsurprisingly, technic councils. Those changes reduced councils down to eight costs went up and accountability to communities diminished. members, four of whom are directly appointed by the Minister At Wintec, for instance, fourteen people sat on Council before the and those first four get to choose the remaining four. The Minister reforms and collected $93,000 in Council fees. Then, in 2010, the appoints the chairperson and gives her or him the casting vote. Coun- eight councillors, appointed by either the Minister or the ministe- cil members may also sit on multiple councils. Staff representatives, rial appointees took pay rises of between 17 and 131 per cent, and student representatives, union representatives and Maori representa- collected just under $109,000, despite being half the size and less tives all lost their seats on the new councils. representative. At Unitec the 15 councillors in 2009 received a total Ironically, a few weeks after the Minister announced he intends of $99,000 (an average of $6,600 each). The eight councillors in 2010 to reform councils the University of Canterbury’s Council voted to appointed by either the Minister or the Council itself, took $116,000 retain two courses that the Vice-Chancellor and his management (an average of $14,500 each). team had wanted to close. After a public campaign by students and That pattern was repeated around New Zealand. staff at the University, the Council NZTEU is campaigning with voted to retain Theatre and Film students and others to protect Studies by nine votes to eight and the right of staff and students to the Cultural Studies program by The Minister is perpetuating a myth have a say in how our universities eight votes to seven. that good business leaders make good are governed. Importantly we are The staff and student represent- leaders of public institutions... we need also campaigning for the right of atives on that council were crucial look no further than the Global Financial councils to remain independent in standing up to the Vice-Chan- from government and business. cellor, voting against him and chal- Crisis to see what a good job publicly The Minister is perpetuating lenging his ‘austerity’ plan to cut governed democratic and representative a myth that good business lead- courses. They saved jobs and they university councils have been doing ers make good leaders of public saved opportunities for students. compared to so called entrepreneurial institutions such as universities Emma Johnston, one of the and streamlined business directors. and polytechnics. student leaders who drove the And it is even more of a myth campaign to oppose the closure that just because someone is a of Canterbury courses, said staff business leader they are good and students would never have had any success at Council had it at governing – we need look no further than the Global Financial consisted only of senior management and government-appointed Crisis to see what a good job publicly governed democratic and members, nor would there have been three hours of debate and representative university councils have been doing compared to so cross-examination leading up to the vote. called entrepreneurial and streamlined business directors. ‘If university councils cease to be democratic, our universities will Universities have a legal duty to challenge received wisdom and cease to be democratic, and our educational futures will be dictated be the critic and conscience of society – including challenging gov- by a privileged few and prone to corruption,’ said Emma Johnston. ernment. We question how councils can do that when the majority The University of Canterbury’s council voted twice to oppose the of their council owe their seats to the minister who appointed them. Vice-Chancellor’s plans to close arts courses, thus saving cultural Why would the Government want to replace diverse, democrati- studies and theatre and film studies. A vote to close American stud- cally elected people who have a range of skills and a passion for ies only passed after the Chancellor used his casting vote to split their local university, with a more expensive, less diverse team of a voting deadlock. In each instance, the four staff representatives ministerially-appointed bureaucrats? A on Council consistently opposed the closures, thus saving jobs and Sandra Grey is National President/Te Tumu Whakarae, learning opportunities for many staff and students. New Zealand Tertiary Education Union/Te Hautū Kahurangi o Aotearoa When the Government imposed business-style reform on poly- TEU  www.teu.ac.nz technic councils two years ago, experienced, democratically-chosen community people were sacked from the boards and replaced with

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 41 YOUR UNION ACTU Congress 2012 Secure Jobs. Better Future.

he centrepiece of the triennial ACTU Congress held in Sydney in April was the Secure Jobs. Better Future campaign, with T the release of the report of the Independent Inquiry into Insecure Work, Lives on Hold: Unlocking the Potential of Aus- tralia’s Workforce.

In speaking to the report, the Inquiry Chair, use of fixed term contracts to avoid unfair that the trade union movement has a huge former Deputy PM Brain Howe acknowl- dismissal. responsibility to pursue the interests of these edged the input of unions, academic particularly exploited workers. researchers, community and welfare organi- Precarious employment focus NTEU President Jeannie Rea, in speaking sations, but particularly congratulated the to the resolution supporting the recom- workers who gave evidence to the enquiry, Precariously employed workers from many mendations, highlighted the circumstances often a risky decision considering their pre- industries, including the NTEU’s Chris Elenor, of academic casuals. She also called upon carious jobs. were invited onto the Congress stage. Later the whole trade union movement to organ- As NTEU officials and members had pre- in the session a group of twenty outwork- ise and support precarious workers, noting sented at many hearings, it was gratify- ers from the Textile Clothing and Footwear that with few notable exceptions most trade ing that the plight of casual academics is Union (TCFUA) joined their National Secre- unions had largely ignored the rampant well documented in the report and was tary Michele O’Neil on stage to celebrate the growth of precarious employment, focusing mentioned by Mr Howe. Importantly too, recent passage of national legislation regu- upon their more securely employed mem- a number of the general proposals made lating outworkers, which was the final culmi- bers. Now with an estimated 40% of the in the NTEU submission also made it into nation of a 16 year campaign. Australian workforce precariously employed, the recommendations, including those for The participation of all these workers in organising and campaigning with these a secure employment principle in modern the Congress was important as it made very workers must be a priority. awards and bargaining agreements, and the real to the 1000 union leaders and delegates In an otherwise highly stage managed conference, the inclusion of the precarious workers, as well as vignettes from unions on current campaigns provided much needed meaning and confirmation that despite all the negativity Australian unions are taking on important fights, and even getting some wins. Campaign presentations including fighting sham contracting (AMWU/AWU), offshoring of work (ASU/FSU) and other abuses by local and transnational companies (CFMEU/MUA), as well as clever campaigns to defeat non-union ballots (CPSU). NTEU Indigenous claims

NTEU decided to feature its campaign for Indigenous employment targets in university Collective Agreements. The purpose was to both to explain the achievements to date, and to draw attention to the internal union conditions needed to prosecute an indus- ACTU Congress delegates. In front row (L-R): NTEU General Secretary Grahame McCulloch, National Assistant Secretary Matthew trial campaign for Indigenous employment McGowan, Vice-President (General Staff) Gabe Gooding and Indigenous Policy Committee Chair Jillian Miller. Photo © ACTU within an industry. Consequently, Indig-

42 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 YOUR UNION enous Policy Committee (IPC) Chair, Jillian Miller outlined the ways that the NTEU has made Indigenous business core union business, which was further emphasised by the General Secretary, Grahame McCulloch’s closing comment that we will be measured on our deeds not our words. The impact of the presentation was made more powerful through video commentary from three active Indigenous members, Professor Bronwyn Fredericks, new Pro Vice Chancellor at Central Queensland Univer- sity, Karen Jackson of Victoria University and Stuart MacFarlane of RMIT. Drawing upon the Prime Minister’s speech earlier in the Congress, where she referred to her social inclusion strategy of deregu- lating university places, NTEU National Assistant Secretary Matt McGowan moved the resolution amending and updating the Higher Education policy. He emphasised the dramatic impacts upon universities of the increases in student numbers without com- mensurate increases in staff and resources, and urged support from the trade union movement for the NTEU’s Invest in Australia’s Future campaign. HSU issue

The ACTU leadership including new Secre- tary Dave Oliver demonstrated sound leadership in establishing an independent expert panel to identify best practices and examine weaknesses in union structures and management. This was a constructive response to the damning of the whole union movement by revelations of corruption and abuse of responsibilities by some Health Services Union officials. NTEU representation

NTEU was represented at Congress by National President Jeannie Rea, General Sec- retary Grahame McCulloch, National Assis- tant Secretary Matthew McGowan, National Vice President (General Staff) Gabe Good- ing, IPC Chair Jillian Miller and Deputy IPC Chair and National Executive Member Terry Mason. A Jeannie Rea, National President c www.actucongress.org.au

Top: ACTU President Ged Kearney. Middle: PM Julia Gillard. Bottom: Textile, Clothing & Footwear Union outworkers. All images © ACTU 2012

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 43 YOUR UNION Recent human rights actions by NTEU

TEU National Office regularly sends letters to foreign governments and companies in support of imprisoned or victim- N ised educators and workers, upon the request of education and human rights organisations. For more information, please visit the organisations’ websites: Amnesty International  www.amnesty.org Scholars at Risk  scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu Education International  www.ei-ie.org Bahrain Action request: Education International IRAN CHINA and Amnesty International BAHRAIN SUDAN To: King, Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs TOGO China Action: Further letter re concerns for health of Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu Action request: Scholars at Risk Dheeb, President of the Bahraini To: President Hu Jintao Teachers Association. He commenced a hunger strike on 12 Action: Letter re Gu Chuan scholar/blog- February in protest at the refusal ger who was denied permis- of authorities to release him on sion to leave China to take up a bail and the deplorable condi- position as a Visiting Scholar at tions in jail. Togo Columbia University (USA). Also expressed concerns re arrest Action request: Amnesty International of Jalila al-Salman, Vice-Pres- ident of the Bahraini Teachers To: Minister for Justice Iran Association and other teacher Action: Letter re Agnite Massama, unionists and teachers follow- Bitsioudi Birenam and Didiba Action request: Scholars at Risk ing pro-democracy movement Mohamed (members of National To: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme protests. Union of Pupils and Students of Leader of the Islamic Republic of UPDATE 3 April: EI has learned Togo) – fear of torture/ill treat- Iran from blogs that Mahdi’s appeal ment. Prisoners of conscience Action: Further letter re case of Abdol- hearing scheduled on 2 April – detained following organisa- reza Ghanbari and other 2012 as been postponed to 2 tion of a general assembly to detained scholars and intellectu- May, in order to include medi- discuss the Government’s failure als. cal reports. EI has asked the to honour its promises regard- International Committee of the ing student support grants and Action request: Education International Red Cross to liaise with the Red scholarships. Crescent to visit him in detention. To: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Action request: Education International Sudan Iran Action: Letter re pending execution Action: Senator The Hon. Bob Carr, Minis- Action request: Amnesty International ter for Foreign Affairs of Professor Abdolreza Ghan- To: Ibrahim Mohamed Hamed, Minis- bari, lecturer of Payam e Nour Action: Letter re Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu ter of the Interior University. He was arrested on Dheeb, President, Bahraini Teach- 4 January 2010 and charged ers Association and Jalila al Action: Letter re unconfirmed reports with enmity towards God after Salman, Vice-President, Bahraini that detained student activist, receiving unsolicited emails Teachers Association. Concerns Taj Alsir Jaafar who commenced from an armed opposition re health of Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi a hunger strike on 11 February group. While in detention at Evin Abu Dheeb and need for inter- has died. Prison authorities have Prison, Abdolreza Ghanbari was national pressure on Bahraini refused to confirm or deny the interrogated for 25 consecutive authorities (in view of scheduled reports, have refused his family days and forced to confess under court hearing 2 May) to drop all access and have made threats duress to the charges. charges against them. against his mother.

44 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 YOUR UNION

ality and presented this policy in a report New staff in NTEU offices to Annual Conference in 2011. In his new role David has joined the Australian Ser- vices Union and has connected with GLBTI o better help you to get to know your local Union staff, we are pleased to pre- activists in both the re-established Victorian T sent these brief profiles of recently arrived Branch and Division staff. Workers Out group and NTEU.

Emma Clancy Elizabeth McGrath Tim McCann Industrial Organiser Industrial Officer Branch Organiser WA Division National Office ANU

Emma Clancy has worked in politics and the Elizabeth McGrath was welcomed into the Tim McCann has worked as a broadcaster media in Australia and Ireland. She studied National Industrial team in May. Elizabeth in local community radio for almost thirty politics at Curtin University, where she was has come from the AMWU Victorian Branch years, and he volunteers for the National involved in the student anti-war movement where she worked for four years as an in- Museum of Labour. He also has experience and the campaign against voluntary student house lawyer. She appeared at Fair Work as a performance artist, a house painter, a unionism. Australia almost daily on behalf of AMWU community based researcher, and a pur- Emma spent several years living in Ireland members and therefore has extensive expe- veyor of organic vegies. where she worked as a newspaper sub-edi- rience in running applications under the Act. Tim has worked in a number of roles in tor. She has been involved in a range of social Elizabeth has a special interest in the Canberra’s community sector. He helped to justice campaigns over the past decade and plight of casuals and recently won a casual organise the National Young Unionists Con- is currently studying law. conversion case. Following this decision, SPC ference in 2009 which he followed with his Ardmona recognised its obligation to con- most recent position as Office Manager of vert all employees who meet the EBA criteria Canberra’s peak union body, the Trades and to ongoing positions. Labour Council, now known as UnionsACT. Holly Kemp Elizabeth will be running litigation to coin- Branch Organiser cide with the bargaining campaign. This will QUT particularly reference the Williams v McMa- hon precedent as a basis to claim annual Liz Schroeder Since graduating in BA in Peace and Conflict leave entitlements to employees incorrectly Branch Industrial Organiser Studies, Holly has had the opportunity to classified as ‘casual.’ She will also be assisting Monash University test theories from her field from a number state industrial officers running applications of angles; exploring collective organis- at FWA and giving direct briefs to counsel in Liz became a union activist while working ing, structural inequality and the pursuit of Federal Court matters. in the Commonwealth Employment Ser- gender equality in the workplace with the vice. She then became an Organiser with Queensland Nurses Union, and later, feminist the ACOA (CPSU’s predecessor union) and support work, recovery and peer support the CPSU, organising in the federal Depart- models of mental health ‘treatment’ with the David Willis ments of Employment, Education and Train- Eating Disorders Association. Holly has also Branch Organiser ing, Veterans’ Affairs, the Australian Electoral been active in Queer and Feminist organis- Deakin University Commission and Telstra for almost 13 years. ing; movement building and workshopping. Liz returned to study and qualified as a Holly says that it’s the intellectual stimula- David joins NTEU after 20 years working in primary teacher, where again she became an tion of working with the NTEU that keeps her the NSW Department of Education and Com- activist and Sub-Branch Secretary with the passionate. Working with QUT staff in her munities as a teacher, education consultant, AEU. Brief stints with the Fair Work Ombuds- role since September 2011, Holly has been policy advisor and program manager. man and Ombudsman Victoria followed, very inspired by the strategic activity and David was an active member of the NSW before she returned to her passion – union analysis of the QUT Branch activists. There Teachers Federation (NSWTF) being work- organising. is a real solidarity amongst members and a place delegate and State Councillor. He rep- She says ‘Many of the issues in primary great chemistry when they come together to resented the NSWTF at the 2011 Outgames teaching are the same as issues in higher work collaboratively on Union initiatives. International Human Rights Conference in education - excessive workloads, insecure Holly looks forward to working with her NZ, the 2010 AEU Public Education Forum at work, autocratic styles of management. I’m QUT colleagues to ensure that management Parliament House in Canberra and he sat on enjoying being back in the union movement, are more respectful of, and influenced by, the State restricted committees. working with members to tackle these types expertise that QUT staff undoubtedly have, As a member of the GLBTI Committee he of issues.’ to resolve the problems that concern them. wrote the NSWTF policy, Gender and Sexu- continued over page...

JULY 2012 www.nteu.org.au 45 YOUR UNION

...continued from previous page Staff movements Annual tax NTEU gender Rob Binnie will move from the Tasmanian Division, where he has been the Division statement equity audit Industrial Organiser for a number of years, back to Melbourne to take up a similar role Your annual NTEU membership fees tax statement is available after 1 July. with the Victorian Division. TEU is pleased to announce In another return to home State, John Statements available online only. N that it will shortly be con- Pezy has swapped Branch Organiser duties Statements will not be posted out. ducting an internal gender equity at Monash University for the same role at 1: Go to www.nteu.org.au audit. Flinders University in SA. Fran Blackbourn, previously ACT Division 2: Click on ‘Member Login’ This ‘State of the Union’ audit is intended Organiser, has taken up the role of Branch ID = Your NTEU membership no. to provide an overview of the current Organiser at the University of Wollongong as status of gender equity within NTEU Password = Your surname in CAPS a maternity leave replacement. while also serving as an opportunity In July, Simon Kempton, NSW Industrial (or whatever you may have changed it to) to generate discussion around equity Officer, moves over to Perth to take up a simi- 3: Select ‘Print Tax Statement’ to issues. lar role with the WA Division. A download and print the PDF. The aim of the audit is to assist NTEU in both monitoring and improving areas relating to gender equity within NTEU Tax Guide 2012 the organisation. The audit is being conducted with the support of the The annual NTEU Tax Guide, produced in Women’s Action Committee, and all cooperation with Teacher Tax, is available in levels of the Union will be participating. the centre of this edition of Advocate. More information on this audit will be Also available online at released shortly. A www.nteu.org.au/tax

NTEU ONLINE MEMBERSHIP DATABASE How to check your membership details or download your tax statement online Update your details: In order for NTEU to keep you in touch, it is important we have your latest details. If any of the following points apply to you, please change your details online or contact us immediately.

MEMBERSHIP DETAILS CREDIT CARD/DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENTS Have you moved house recently? Have your credit card (ie expiry date) or direct debit account ÎÎ If you have nominated your home address details changed? as your NTEU contact address, you must update ÎÎ Please notify us immediately. it. Are you leaving university employment? Has your family name changed? ÎÎ If you are no longer an NTEU member, deductions Have your workplace details changed? will continue until the National Office is notified. Has your Dept/School had a name change or merged For all credit card and direct debit enquiries, please with another? contact: Tamara Labadze, Finance Officer Are you moving to a different institution? ph (03) 9254 1910 email [email protected] ÎÎ Transfer of membership from one institution to another is not automatic. 1: Click on ‘Member Login’ PAYROLL DEDUCTION PAYMENTS Have your employment details changed? ID = Your NTEU membership number Have your payroll deductions suddenly stopped without ÎÎ Please notify us to ensure you are paying the Password = Your surname in CAPITALS correct fees. your authority? For any of the above membership enquiries, please ÎÎ contact your payroll dept urgently. 2: ‘Edit Your Profile’ (to change personal details) contact: Melinda Valsorda, Membership Officer Payroll deduction queries should be directed to your Branch ‘Change Your Work Details’ ph (03) 9254 1910 or Division office. ‘Transfer Institution’ email [email protected] ‘Change your Payment Method’ ‘Print Tax Statements’ (after 1 July) Annual tax statement: Available for download after 1 July. Statements will not be posted out.

46 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION UNION MEMBERSHIP FORM  I want to join NTEU  I am currently a member and wish to update my details The information on this form is needed for aspects of NTEU’s work and will be treated as confidential. YOUR PERsONAL DETAILs

TITLE |SURNAME |GIVEN NAMES

HOME ADDRESS

POSITION CLASSIfICATION STEP/ ANNUAL MONTH NExT | LEVEL LECTB, HEW4 | INCREMENT | SALARY | INCREMENT DUE YOUR EMPLOYMENT gROUP If KNOWN I hereby apply for membership of NTEU, any Branch and any associated body‡ established at my workplace.  ACADEMIC sTAff  gENERAL/PROfEssIONAL sTAff  TEACHING & RESEARCH  RESEARCH ONLY SIGNATURE DATE  RESEARCH ONLY OTHER:

You may resign by written notice to the Division or Branch Secretary. Where you cease to be eligible to become YOUR EMPLOYMENT CATEgORY AND TERM a member, resignation shall take effect on the date the notice is received or on the day specified in your notice, whichever is later. In any other case, you must give at least two weeks notice. Members are required to pay dues and  fULL TIME  PART TIME HoUrS PEr WK  sEssIONAL ACADEMIC levies as set by the Union from time to time in accordance with NTEU rules. Further information on financial obligations, including a copy office use only: Membership no. CONTINUINg/ fIxED TERM  gENERAL/PROfEssIONAL sTAff CAsUAL of the rules, is available from your Branch.   DATE oF ExPIrY PERMANENT CONTRACT If YOU ARE CAsUAL/sEssIONAL, COMPLETE PAYMENT OPTION 4 ONLY OPTION 4: CAsUAL/sEssIONAL ONLY 1. Choose your salary range. 2. Select 6 month or 1 year membership. If YOU ARE fULL TIME OR PART TIME, PLEAsE COMPLETE EITHER PAYMENT OPTION 1, 2 OR 3 Membership fees = 1% of gross annual salary 3. Tick the appropriate box. OPTION 1: PAYROLL DEDUCTION AUTHORITY office use only: % of salary deducted 4. Pay by cheque, money order or credit card. Salary range 6 months 12 months I hereby authorise the Institution or its duly authorised I INSErT YoUr NAME STAff PAYROLL NO. IF KNoWN servants and agents to deduct from my salary by regular $10,000 & under: $27.50 $55 | instalments, dues and levies (as determined from time to   time by the Union), to NTEU or its authorised agents. All $10,001–$20,000:  $38.50  $77 Of YoUr ADDrESS payments on my behalf and in accordance with this authority shall be deemed to be payments by me personally. This Over $20,000:  $55  $110 authority shall remain in force until revoked by me in writ- HEREBY AUTHORISE INSTITUTIoN ing. I also consent to my employer supplying NTEU with updated information relating to my employment status.  PLEAsE ACCEPT MY CHEqUE/MONEY ORDER OR CREDIT CARD:  MAsTERCARD  vIsA SIGNATURE |DATE NAME ON CARD OPTION 2: CREDIT CARD Processed on the 16th of the month or following working day I hereby authorise the Merchant to debit my Card account with the amount and at NAME ON CARD intervals specified above and in the event of any change in the charges for these goods/ CARD NUMBER services to alter the amount from the appropriate date in accordance with such change. This authority shall stand, in respect of the above specified Card and in respect of any Card CARD NO. issued to me in renewal or replacement thereof, until I notify the Merchant in writing of its — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — cancellation. Standing Authority for recurrent Periodic Payment by Credit Card. ExPIRY $ ExPIRY |  MASTERCARD  VISA |PAYMENT:  MONTHLY  QUARTERLY  HALf-YEARLY  ANNUALLY | SIGNATURE SIGNATURE DATE | Description of goods/services: NTEU DATE Membership Dues. To: NTEU, Po Box OPTION 3: DIRECT DEBIT Processed on the 15th of the month or following working day 1323, Sth Melbourne VIC 3205 I hereby authorise the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) APCA ‡Associated bodies: NTEU (NSW); University of Qld Academic Staff Asso- I INSErT YoUr NAME User ID No.062604 to arrange for funds to be debited from my/our ciation (Union of Employees) at UQ; Union of Australian College Academics account at the financial institution identified and in accordance with the (WA Branch) Industrial Union of Workers at Edith Cowan University & Curtin terms described in the Direct Debit request (DDr) Service Agreement University; Curtin University Staff Association (Inc.) at Curtin University; Staff fINANCIAL INSTITUTION Association of Edith Cowan University (Inc.) at ECU Full text of DDR available at www.nteu.org.au/ddr BSB |ACCOUNT NO. REGULARITY Of PAYMENT: MAIL TO:  MONTHLY  QUARTERLY NTEU National Office BRANCH NAME & ADDRESS  HALf-YEARLY  ANNUALLY PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 T (03) 9254 1910 ACCOUNT NAME 5% DIsCOUNT fOR ANNUAL DIRECT DEBIT F (03) 9254 1915 SIGNATURE |DATE E [email protected] Contacting NTEU National Office 1st Fl, 120 Clarendon St, . . . office Southbank, VIC 3006 . . . phone . . . fax PO Box 1323, South Melbourne, VIC 3205 . . . email . . . website NT Division (03) 9254 1910 (03) 9254 1915 PO Box U371, [email protected] CDU, Darwin, NT 0815 www.nteu.org.au (08) 8946 7231 (08) 8927 9410 WA Division [email protected] PO Box 3114, Broadway LPO www.nteu.org.au/nt Queensland Division Nedlands, WA 6009 4 Briggs Street, (08) 6365 4188 Taringa, QLD 4068 (08) 9354 1629 (07) 3362 8200 [email protected] (07) 3371 7817 www.nteu.org.au/wa [email protected] www.nteu.org.au/qld SA Division Ground Floor, Palais Apartment Complex, 281 North Tce, Adelaide SA 5000 NSW Division (08) 8227 2384 Level 1, 55 Holt St, (08) 8227 0997 Surry Hills, NSW 2010 [email protected] (02) 8066 6600 www.nteu.org.au/sa (02) 8066 6677 ACT Division [email protected] www.nteu.org.au/nsw G Block, Old Admin Area, McDonald Place, ANU, Acton, ACT 0200 Victorian Division (02) 6125 2043 ANU/ADFA/ACU (02) 6201 5355 UC 1st Fl, 120 Clarendon St, (02) 6125 8137 Southbank, VIC 3006 [email protected] (03) 9254 1930 www.nteu.org.au/act NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF (03) 9254 1935 Officers & Central Resources Unit [email protected] www.nteu.org.au/vic Executive Officer – General Secretary. . . . .Anastasia Kotaidis Tasmanian Division ICT System Administrator/Help Desk. . . . . Tam Vuong Executive Officer – Meetings & Events . . . . Tracey Coster Private Bag 101, University of Tasmania, Administrative Officer – Reception...... Renee Veal Hobart, TAS 7001 (03) 6226 7575 Industrial Unit (03) 6226 2172 Industrial Unit Coordinator (Acting)...... Peter Summers [email protected] Senior Industrial Officer (Strategy & Policy). . Ken McAlpine www.nteu.org.au/tasmania Industrial Officers...... Wayne Cupido, Libby McGrath Industrial Support Officer...... Miin Yeo Policy & Research Unit NATIONAL EXECUTIVE Policy & Research Unit Coordinator...... Paul Kniest Policy & Research Officers...... Terri MacDonald National President...... Jeannie Rea Jen Tsen-Kwok Vice-President (Academic)...... Gregory McCarthy SA Div Indigenous Unit Vice-President (General)...... Gabe Gooding UWA National Indigenous Coordinator...... Adam Frogley General Secretary...... Grahame McCulloch National Indigenous Organiser...... Celeste Liddle National Assistant Secretary. . . . . Matthew McGowan Recruitment & Training Unit Executive Members National Organiser...... Michael Evans Lyn Bloom WA Div Andrew Bonnell UQ National Publications Coordinator...... Paul Clifton Derek Corrigan ANU John Fitzsimmons CQU National Media Officer...... Andrew Nette Genevieve Kelly NSW Div Kelvin Michael Tas Div Membership Records Officer...... Melinda Valsorda Margaret Lee Qld Div Colin Long Vic Div Administrative Officer...... Julie-Ann Veal Virginia Mansel Lees La Trobe Terry Mason UWS Helen Masterman-Smith CSU Stephen Darwin ACT Div Finance Unit Susan Price UNSW Kevin Rouse SA Div Finance Unit Coordinator...... Jenny Savage Michael Thomson Sydney vacant NT Div Finance Officers...... Gracia Ho, Joanne Riley, Alex Ghvaladze, Tamara Labadze, Lee Powell, Sonia Uthuppu, Indigenous Executive Member. . . . . Jillian Miller UniSA Daphne Zhang

48 NTEU ADVOCATE vol. 19, no. 2 WWW.ELITEEDITING.COM.AU

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