Union Matters Students Fight for Their Future
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NTEU RMIT University 20 April 2016 issue #68 Union Matters Students fight for their future Students around the country with the ominous mystery box protesters dressed as zombies and are fighting for their future to that is the pending federal budget. called the government grave robbers defeat the federal government’s Current undergraduate students in reference to proposals to continue renewed threats to deregulate could face fee hikes while they are to collect university debts after a university fees and cut 20% from still studying and experts predict person has died. that fee deregulation would result in the higher education budget. Jeannie Rae, NTEU National $100,000 degrees for future students. President, will be writing to all Vice Christopher Pyne’s Higher Education Thousands of students joined Chancellors urging them to take a Bill was due to take effect in 2016. the National Day of Action last principled stand for students and However, following a massive public Wednesday 13 April and there were higher education against future backlash the proposal was voted clashes at the Liberal party fundraiser proposals for fee deregulation. The down in the Senate and judiciously (prices ranging from $175 to $1000 NTEU will also be campaigning for “shelved”. Christopher Pyne was also a head) featuring Malcolm Turnbull higher education during the federal replaced by new Education Minister, and John Howard in Melbourne’s election. Simon Birmingham, who promised to Docklands. There was another retain current arrangements for 2016. scuffle at The University of Sydney Future uncertain library where Simon Birmingham was attending a debate. In Brisbane, Beyond 2016 the future is uncertain NTEU RMIT Branch, Building 93 22 Cardigan Street, Carlton ph. 9925 0665 [email protected] www.nteu.org.au/rmit Authorised by Melissa Slee, NTEU RMIT Branch President www.nteu.org.au/join Union Matters RMIT University NTEU acts to end the dead- Hey, where’s our lock in VE negotiations money?? The NTEU National General citizens. The federal government has flogged $217 million from higher education. Secretary, Grahame McCulloch, Vocational Education teachers are NTEU Victorian State Secretary, the lowest paid teachers in Victoria. Back in 2013, Craig Emerson withheld Colin Long, and the RMIT NTEU At RMIT, most teach into programs an “efficiency dividend” from Branch President recently met that articulate into first, second and universities to help fund the Gonski with Vice Chancellor Martin even third year higher education school funding reforms. Readers Bean to put forward our degrees, yet RMIT is pegging their may recall the NTEU’s feisty “dumb cuts” campaign that helped defeat proposal to end the deadlock in wages and conditions to underpaid staff in the TAFE Institutes. that initiative. Then in January RMIT Vocational Education (VE) 2014, Opposition Higher Education negotiations. Teaching staff at RMIT do not work minister, Senator Kim Carr, wondered The NTEU is recommending a for a cash-strapped TAFE institute. how much money had been withheld “bridging agreement” which They work for a very wealthy and where the money had gone. The transitions all VE teachers towards organisation. RMIT has a $1 billion Senate Estimates Committee recently being covered by the RMIT Higher annual turnover and last year found the figure had climbed to $217 Education Enterprise Agreement reported a $71.2 million profit. million. RMIT is owed $8.04 million. Despite all the setbacks total VE (the Enterprise Agreement for all The failure of Christopher Pyne’s income increased by $2,346,000 other RMIT staff) which is due to be Higher Education Bill in the Senate from 2013 ($155,930,000) to 2014 renegotiated in 2017. last year means this money was to be ($158,276,000). It makes sense. paid back to the universities. It has Enough is enough! been sitting in limbo ever since. • RMIT have blithered about for An unintended consequence of so long - going on three years RMIT want all of the benefits of Prime Minister Turnbull’s decision now - that the VE and Higher Vocational Education teaching to trigger a double dissolution Education negotiations are set they just don't want to pay for election is that all Bills sitting on to collide. it. Vocational Education is clearly aligned with RMIT's Ready for Life the notice paper, including the one • Dare we say Simplicity? and Work Strategic Plan providing to justify withholding these funds, Silly Stuff? One Enterprise flagship programs that both enable automatically lapse. Agreement will solve a lot of pathways into Higher Education and The NTEU is chasing this much overhead and administrative professional training. RMIT can only needed money arguing it is being issues for RMIT. sustain these positive outcomes “illegally withheld”. • Gross inequalities among staff if they value and support the staff As NTEU National President, Jeannie are corrosive of morale and who deliver them. Rae, points out: “These monies commitment. Teaching staff have vowed to fight could have been used to employ an VE teachers deserve better! on, voting unanimously for another additional 1,500 staff to improve the round of industrial action. quality of teaching and research, and RMIT’s current approach is to reduce reliance on insecure forms of Negotiations continue... stitch up a second rate Enterprise employment.” Agreement for VE teachers which treats them like second class Not already a member? 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