By Maurice Sibelle
BRISBANE — Public sector unions remain firm in their opposition to cutbacks proposed by Queensland's Labor government. In the strongest action to date, teachers have called a one-day strike and rally on August 5.
The cuts in education will increase class sizes, close smaller classes, reduce support and management staff for teachers, increase the length of time teachers are forced to spend in remote areas and force teachers to do their in-service training in their own time.
Queensland Teachers Union president Mary Kelly explained that the cuts were a threat to courses which tended to have smaller class sizes, such as maths II. This would disadvantage many students who would need such subjects to gain entry into some university courses, she told a meeting of 600 students at the Queensland University of Technology.
The teachers will be joined on August 5 by student teachers. Ninety-three per cent of students graduating as teachers will not be granted an interview to get a rating, which is a prerequisite for employment as a teacher. Of the 1800 students expected to graduate this year, fewer than 200 will find jobs. Ten thousand previous graduates are already unemployed. It is expected that the department plans to have 450-500 fewer positions for teachers next year.
The Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens joined criticism of the governments cuts. "We expect the government to be committed to the education of our children and that means no cuts", QCPC president Rosemary Hume demanded at the same meeting. Every year parents raise $60 million and donate thousands of hours to help education.
As well, up to 6000 nurses will attend stop-work meetings on August 4 to discuss cuts to health. Under the proposed cuts, the Princess Alexandra and the Queen Elizabeth II hospitals will be "rationalised", increasing the pressure on
already over-stretched health services. Both hospitals will lose their general hospital status.
Nurses who have worked in administration will be forced back into the wards. Queensland Nurses Union secretary Denis Jones told the Courier Mail, "The government wants to reduce positions, redeploy and downgrade people to positions they have not held for 20 years".
Meanwhile, an ACTU committee comprising the Public Transport Union, Queensland Teachers Union, Queensland Nurses Union, Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen (AFULE) and State Public Services Federation (SPSF) has been meeting to coordinate the campaign against the cuts.
Premier Wayne Goss was made to eat humble pie on July 25 after a week of actions in which rail unions, local governments, producers and townspeople rallied to defend their rail lines. Goss was forced to cancel all appointments on the weekend of July 23-24 to tour regions affected by the rail cuts. In a partial back-
down, Goss set up the Rail Review Task Force on July 26, chaired by his deputy Brian Burns, with representatives of the grain growers, cattlemen, Public Transport Union and the ACTU.
"The fight is still on", explained Trevor Campbell, secretary of the Public Transport Union. He was referring to Goss' insistence that he still had to find $40 million in cutbacks from rail and a leaked Queensland Railways report which targets 4600 jobs to be lost over the next five years. "Alliances will be maintained", he continued "We've put in a tremendous effort to force them to review the situation. We certainly aren't in the business of closing down rail lines that are still in use."
Greg Smith, vice-president of the AFULE, was cautious. "While the review is on, our membership is simmering. While the other unions are mounting their campaigns we have given them our support. The teachers want to identify their own issues on August 5. They don't want their concerns to get lost in the publicity of a joint union rally. Our people will attend any further rallies."
Chris McGetrick, spokesperson for the SPSF, told Green Left Weekly, "Many important research programs have been abolished due to staff cuts. We've lost 600 jobs in the Department of Primary Industry. The cuts in country areas will mean our members will lose their locality allowances and rental subsidy. This will create problems and disabilities with regular transfers."
The SPSF held rallies in Mt Isa, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns on July 29 to protest against the cuts. They were supported by the teachers' and nurses' unions.
McGetrick called on Goss to "get real and look at serious revenue raising. Stop trying to appease the economic rationalists." He continued, "Goss has to get off his high horse and raise taxes on the rich. If Goss loses faith with unionists, it will have more dire consequences than losing faith with market rationalists and the white shoe brigade."