Vic Uni announces mass redundancies in TAFE and Higher Education

The AEU was advised on Friday afternoon by our sub-branch representatives that Victoria University’s management intend to cut a massive $30 million from their salaries budget in 2009-10.

The largest impact of these redundancies will be in the higher education sector and will target lecturers and administrative staff. We are advised by the NTEU that approximately 250 people will lose their employment.

AEU officers and representatives are meeting with Victoria University management today. During that meeting, the AEU will be asking how many TAFE teachers will be targetted and in what course areas. We will also be asking why management has allowed the University to get into this shocking position. Clearly from their communication to staff on Friday, they intend staff to bear the full brunt of past and current financial disasters.

The AEU wants to assure its members that we will do everything possible to minimise the impact of these cuts in the TAFE sector and work with the NTEU to support them in their fight for their members' jobs too in teaching and administration.

We will also be asking the question why is there a reduced investment of any magnitude in post-secondary education at a time when we're told there are drastic skills shortages. Where does Victoria University's plan fit in with Rudd's Education Revolution and the Brumby government's Skills Reform policy? If you don't have teachers, you don't have students. See article in today's Age re private providers: http://www.theage.com.au/national/trade-college-closed-for-breach-of-rules-20081019-5401.html

Enterprise Bargaining Campaign

Rallies to date have been well attended. From Mildura in the north to Bairnsdale in the east, we have been well pleased with the support from TAFE teachers.

We are waiting on the Brumby government to respond to our demand for pay parity with school teachers at the top level. The AEU has put a case to government and employers which we believe substantiates our claim. And the bottom line - a teacher is a teacher no matter which sector they work in.

The final rally will be held outside Minister Jacinta Allan's office in Bendigo on Thursday October 30 at 10 am. We have been asked by many members at rallies already held if it is possible to attend that rally as well. Clearly teachers are angered by the government's slow response to our demand for decent pay and they want the Minister responsible for TAFE to hear that anger. The answer is yes, you can attend and the BRIT sub-branch will be well pleased to have the extra industrial support on that day. Obviously if you are scheduled to be working on that day, you will need to go through the same process of notifying your manager that you will be stopping work as for the rolling stopworks and for the previous statewide stopwork on August 20.

Everywhere we go, teachers are telling us the same thing--they are angry and insulted that the Brumby government has not seen fit to resolve their EB negotiations. And they tell us they are also totally committed to continue supporting our AEU campaign. And if that means another statewide stopwork on November 25, so be it.

We ask all members to strongly encourage their colleagues to join our campaign--the more impact we have now, the sooner these negotiations will be resolved.

Skills Reform Campaign

They are located in Lonsdale Road, Dandenong; Tullamarine Freeway, Airport West; Princes Freeway, Laverton. Another one will be erected on Burwood Hwy, Burwood on November 10.

Currently we are working on getting our TV ad focussing on real people telling their stories of how the fee hikes and loans will affect them. The AEU will be launching that stage of the campaign on November 10.

GILLIAN ROBERTSON
Vice President
TAP (TAFE & Adult Provision) Sector

ROB STEWART
Deputy Vice President
TAP (TAFE & Adult Provision) Sector