Ballarat NTEU campaign against cuts
BALLARAT — A lively meeting of the University of Ballarat branch of the National Tertiary Education Industry Union on August 29 voted to fight threatened cuts.
Jobs and programs are at risk in the schools of social sciences and humanities, engineering, nursing and education. Only a year after more than 60 staff departed as a result of federal funding cuts, staff fear another round of deep cuts. The termination of contract positions could be a way of circumventing the new award won by the NTEU, which promises security for contract staff.
The vice-chancellor will be asked to convene a university-wide meeting to explain the cuts and the alleged financial crisis. A publicity campaign is being prepared to inform the public about the depth of the cuts. Industrial action has also been foreshadowed if management does not meet with the NTEU to discuss ways to save jobs.
Anti-racist rally in the valley
BRISBANE — An anti-racist community march and fiesta will be held on Saturday September 5, commencing with a rally in Chinatown Mall, Fortitude Valley at 12.30pm.
The event, organised by the Democratic Socialist Party and Resistance, will have the themes "migrants are welcome" and "support native title". The march will go through Fortitude Valley, along Brunswick Street and end with a multicultural fiesta at the Resistance Centre, 29 Terrace Street, New Farm, from around 2pm. All Green Left Weekly supporters are welcome.
AEU opposes youth allowance
ADELAIDE — The SA branch of the Australian Education Union has attacked the federal government's common youth allowance (CYA), saying it will undermine the quality of education. The AEU will conduct a public campaign against the CYA.
The AEU estimates that as many as 1000 additional students could return to SA schools in 1999, increasing the burden on public schools already suffering state and federal funding cuts. The Liberal state government has threatened to cut $1 million a year to adult re-entry schools.
The union calculates that an extra 56 teachers will be required to cope with the increased student numbers. That means the state education budget will need to be boosted by $3 million.