Universities could again be at the frontline of Liberals’ industrial relations agenda

Australia’s universities should never again be used as a testing ground for a radical Liberal workplace agenda.

Unions are determined to prevent a repeat of the abuse of Commonwealth funding by the Coalition to pursue individual contracts in the tertiary education sector.

ACTU Secretary Jeff Lawrence said unions were concerned that a Coalition Government could seek to blackmail universities into using individual contracts with the threat of with-holding funding. Mr Lawrence said the last time the Coalition was in power, it used Commonwealth funding to drive an extremist industrial relations agenda in the tertiary sector.

Mr Lawrence will today address a stopwork meeting by University of Queensland academic and general staff who are seeking a new collective agreement.

Staff are today beginning a series of rolling stoppages in pursuit of an improved pay offer from the university, which had a surplus of $128 million in 2009. Average pay for senior lecturers and for general staff at the University of Queensland are the second lowest of 17 tertiary institutions, despite the university’s status as one of Australia’s Group of Eight.

“Staff are using the Fair Work Act to attempt to claw back pay they lost under the Coalition Government,” Mr Lawrence said.

“After refusing to meet with staff and their union for many months, the university began negotiations last year shortly before the Fair Work Act began operation. The Act encourages collective bargaining which is the best way to secure good pay and conditions for workers.

“This is in contrast with the last Coalition Government’s Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements, which made increased funding for universities conditional on institutions rolling out Australian Workplace Agreements to their staff.

“Tony Abbott wants to reintroduce individual contracts in Australian workplaces. He has also failed to rule out again using Government funding to implement his radical IR agenda.”

Last decade, $458 million of Commonwealth funding to universities was subject to the HEWRRs. The Coalition also used its funding powers to drive its IR agenda in other industries, including tender processes for government-funded construction projects.

It might add soem balance to the Ultra-left wing PC nonsense that is drummed into our uni studentsthese days.

Having spent a bit of time at Uni and having a son who is still studying at uni I must admit some uni lecturers are amongst the laziest people I have ever had the misfortune to meet.
I would never want to submit anyone to Abbotts looming draconian workplace laws but something has to be done so students get value for the money they pay for uni courses.

University lecturers laziness is only matched by their arrogance.

Sitting in a cosy office half the time thinking up mad-cap social policies and issues knowing full well they don't have to live in the real world in which the rest of us work.

I had little time for them and my university was described as the most right wing in Britain.

adelcrow wrote on Aug 17^th, 2010 at 4:10pm:

Having spent a bit of time at Uni and having a son who is still studying at uni I must admit some uni lecturers are amongst the laziest people I have ever had the misfortune to meet. I would never want to submit anyone to Abbotts looming draconian workplace laws but something has to be done so students get value for the money they pay for uni courses.

Why are you crying work-choices victim mouth, when Tony Abbott has already pledged he would not reintroduce this reform?

Does it feel good to wallow, or do you truly think this Jurassic policy will return?

Furthermore, Labor have their own draconian impositions they plan to assault university students with as soon as they get re-elected.

Such as compulsory student union fees which are currently voluntary thanks to an Abbott Government who opposed this last time they tried to pass it.


When we talk about experimenting on universities with draconian workplace reforms, do we bare a thought for students being forced to pay compulsory union fees?

If this isn't draconian, then I don't know what is.i

Abbott said the phrase work choices is dead. He also said it was Howard's greatest achievement. It was the one agenda that he based his political career around. He also said he can't give a guarantee on all workplace relations.

If anyone really thinks workchoices is dead and buried, they're kidding themselves.

Remember the famous footage of Howard declaring that Australia will never have a GST.

Liberal=workchoices, by any other name they might like to call it.

Quote:

Abbott said the phrase work choices is dead. He also said it was Howard's greatest achievement. It was the one agenda that he based his political career around. He also said he can't give a guarantee on all workplace relations.

Would you prefer an empty guarantee a la labor?    

If you read my post Mellie you will find I do not mention workchoices  :)

I agree it's disgusting how a gillard government plans to further burden students with compulsory student union fees in a democratic country which has a shameful youth (18 to 25) unemployment rate of 18% that's soared under a Labor government in recent years.

Disgraceful.

:(

A $250 service fee is hardly an outrage, most students would spend more than that on chips and coke in a year.
Lets face it, as a cost towards keeping uni activities and uni bar prices low its a bargain  :)

adelcrow wrote on Aug 17^th, 2010 at 5:38pm:

A $250 service fee is hardly an outrage, most students would spend more than that on chips and coke in a year. Lets face it, as a cost towards keeping uni activities and uni bar prices low its a bargain  :)

But the chips and coke are theri CHOICE. and frankly a great deal more value than union fees.

Some academics are incredibly hard working, others are coasting. Professional staff are almot always highly competent, dedicated and professional. On the whole, universities are quite diffferent, nothing like any other workplace - not like private industry and not like government departments.
It is typical of union hamfisteness and dogmatics that they would insist on the same sort of IR at universities as they would want on factory floors. Non-unionised staff actually vote down union proposals when it comes to enterprise agreements.

mellie wrote on Aug 17^th, 2010 at 5:01pm:

Why are you crying work-choices victim mouth, when Tony Abbott has already pledged he would not reintroduce this reform? Does it feel good to wallow, or do you truly think this Jurassic policy will return?

Go have a look at economic policy on the Liberal web site and see that they are still talking in support of individual contracts etc. that is still current today. You can believe them if you like




mellie wrote on Aug 17^th, 2010 at 5:01pm:

Furthermore, Labor have their own draconian impositions they plan to assault university students with as soon as they get re-elected. Such as compulsory student union fees which are currently voluntary thanks to an Abbott Government who opposed this last time they tried to pass it. When we talk about experimenting on universities with draconian workplace reforms, do we bare a thought for students being forced to pay compulsory union fees? If this isn't draconian, then I don't know what is.

When the Howard government took office a HECKS debt meant a few thousand dollars, When the Liberals were finished with the education system there were about 20 degrees costing over $100,000

Do you really think students would be outraged by a few hundred dollars towards facilities and services but have no problem at all with the huge debts left thanks to the Howard government.

mellie wrote on Aug 17^th, 2010 at 5:01pm:

adelcrow wrote on Aug 17th, 2010 at 4:10pm: Having spent a bit of time at Uni and having a son who is still studying at uni I must admit some uni lecturers are amongst the laziest people I have ever had the misfortune to meet. I would never want to submit anyone to Abbotts looming draconian workplace laws but something has to be done so students get value for the money they pay for uni courses. Why are you crying work-choices victim mouth, when Tony Abbott has already pledged he would not reintroduce this reform? Does it feel good to wallow, or do you truly think this Jurassic policy will return? Furthermore, Labor have their own draconian impositions they plan to assault university students with as soon as they get re-elected. Such as compulsory student union fees which are currently voluntary thanks to an Abbott Government who opposed this last time they tried to pass it. When we talk about experimenting on universities with draconian workplace reforms, do we bare a thought for students being forced to pay compulsory union fees? If this isn't draconian, then I don't know what is.

Have I been asleep or something? When was the Abbott Goverment elected.

Last time I looked it was a Labor Goverment in power.

John S wrote on Aug 18^th, 2010 at 9:50am:

Last time I looked it was a Labor Goverment in power.

You can usually tell by the state of the finances.

We're in debt now and we handed out cash to lower class bogans, there's your answer to the colour of the Government.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Aug 18^th, 2010 at 1:02pm:

John S wrote on Aug 18th, 2010 at 9:50am: Last time I looked it was a Labor Goverment in power. You can usually tell by the state of the finances. We're in debt now and we handed out cash to lower class bogans, there's your answer to the colour of the Government.

Compared to a few years back when the government had geared the economy to fail if the boom ended and they were handing out money to wealthy people.

If you have a surplus, it is because the Government is collecting more in tax than it needs to run the country.

Therefore it hands elements of it back to the people to whom it belongs.

Handing people back their tax money is inherently right.
Wealthier people got more back because they paid more in the first place!

Why would you hand out cash to people who contribute in tax in a year what a lot of us pay in a month?

Why reward failure?
Why give people free rides?

I've never been given a free ride in my life.

Preferred PM poll on the Campus Daily website, 5 minutes ago:

Julia Gillard 34.4%
Tony Abbott 48.4%
Third Party 17.2% *

* third party = commies/greens/queers/kooks/mooks