Ed Ascroft
The federal government's propaganda about its "voluntary student unionism" (VSU) legislation, rushed through parliament on December 12, emphasised "choice". But already, universities are feeling the impact of this "voluntary" law in cuts to jobs and services.
Student unions campaigning against the legislation have consistently argued that VSU will seriously undermine students' ability to organise to defend their rights, and will have damaging effects on clubs and services. They pointed to the early 1990s in Western Australia, where VSU was first introduced in its "full" form, and the consequent demise of many student organisations, and loss of services such as childcare and counselling.
To compensate universities for the loss of compulsory student union fees, the government is offering an $80 million subsidy over three years, far less than the $160 million per year that universities previously collected. This huge reduction is in addition to the $586 million funding reduction since PM John Howard was elected in 1996.
Students are bearing the brunt of these losses. Twenty-five universities have announced increases in Higher Education Contribution Scheme fees that add up to more than $800 million, creating a situation where there are now as many as 50 courses at universities across Australia with fees as high as $100,000, some close to $200,000.
Now, at universities across the country, jobs are being cut as administrations "pre-empt" VSU, which will take effect in June. The University of Melbourne was the first to jump, with the number of staff at the university's postgraduate student association halved in November. It shed 10 jobs and left two vacant on the assumption that VSU would be enacted from January.
At some universities, management is using the pre-VSU phase to try to shape student organisations by refusing to agree to future funding arrangements until the student unions "reform" their structures. This has meant selective funding of services, with positions like women's officer and services such as women's rooms being threatened.
"Restructuring" has also meant the destruction of most union staff positions. In the Melbourne RMIT student union, seven of 34 positions have gone and union president Dan Thomas believes that up to 15 more may be lost in the second semester.
At Victoria University, "preparations" for VSU have cost 40 staff their jobs, with another 100 expected to be lost when the law takes affect. At Swinburne University, 19 of 35 union positions have been axed, including positions in advocacy, clubs and societies, activities and reception. Swinburne student union president Vicky Kasidis told the February 28 Age that she expected another 13 to follow, reducing the staff to three by next year.
The La Trobe University union has cut the 95 positions across six campuses to 45, and up to 20 of the 50 Monash University Student Association staff will lose their jobs according to president David Taft.
The anti-student VSU legislation has dramatically affected the general life of students. The fact that students are struggling to survive was highlighted in an article in the February 19 Age, which reported that students were being given lessons in saving money because many were not able to work and the universities have little capacity left to support them. The Age reported that a member of staff, Sarah Milne, gave budgeting advice to students, including "tips such as: shopping at cheaper supermarkets, discount warehouses and buying at markets at the end of the day; renting in houses with gas; and taking advantage of cheaper movie nights on Tuesdays".
At the University of NSW, an email sent to all students said that the university would not collect service and amenities fees in second semester, and at Griffith University in Brisbane, the student representative council is folding due to a debt crisis.
The National Tertiary Education Union believes that a variety of jobs on campuses will not be filled once their incumbents' current contracts end.
As part of the campaign by students and staff to stop this destruction of jobs and services, a national day of action will be held on April 12. It is crucial that the protests are built strongly through the various organisations on all campuses around the key political demand: repeal VSU.
April 12 will be an important step in the overall campaign to defeat the Howard government's many attacks on higher education. We also need to convince students to join student unions so that we can defend not only campus services but also our democratic right to organise and resist.
From Green Left Weekly, March 29, 2006.
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