[Muanet] NTEU offices being kicked off campus

[Chris Latham]

Academics Fired Under Funding Facade

Date: 22 November 2005

Vice Chancellors at three New South Wales Universities have attempted to
use 
Government funding requirements to kick staff unions off university 
campuses, the National Tertiary Educaction Unoin said today.

A letter received by the NTEU today orders NTEU members to vacate the
NTEU 
premises at the University of Newcastle by close of business today.

Newcastle management are also refusing to allow unions to commercially
lease 
premises, drawing accusations of discrimination.

Management of Southern Cross University and the University of New
England 
have issued similar eviction notices which become effective at the end
of 
this week.

In April this year the Howard Government announced the Higher Education 
Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs) - the vehicle for the
Government's 
attempt to undermine working conditions and staff unions in the Higher 
Education sector.

The Government is making $260 million contingent on individual
universities 
meeting the HEWRRs which include restricting union involvement,
restricting 
the content of enterprise agreements and forcing staff onto AWAs.

Yet there is nothing in the HEWRRs which state that unions cannot have 
office space on campus, nor do they preclude the University from
entering 
into a commercial leasing arrangement with whomever it likes.

"This sudden shift of management's attitude at a minority of
Universities 
has outraged NTEU members" said Chris Game, State Secretary of the NTEU 
(NSW).

"Rather than understandable attempts to secure scarce government funding
It 
appears that these managers now want to proactively use the HEWRRs to
attack 
the Union.

"This is plainly a ruse. The Government only supplies 40% of the funding
to 
Universities, yet are trying to exert 100% control" she said.

"We will work with University management to secure HEWRRs funding for
the 
University of Newcastle, but will resist management's attempts to pander
to 
Minister Nelson by adopting a belligerent anti-union approach.

"In the mean time, we're not going anywhere.

"We will also be investigating legal avenues such as trade practices and

anti-discrimination legislation, given that the University sees fit to
lease 
out considerable office space to many other organisations and
businesses, 
but not the Union" said Ms Game.

"The NTEU and its predecessor staff associations have had offices
located on 
campuses for decades, which does much to assist the expeditious handling
and 
resolution of disputes between staff and management.

"Other Universities are having constructive dialogue over office space
with 
the NTEU to ensure all funding requirements are met, and recognise the 
benefit for both management and staff of having NTEU offices located on 
campus."

For further information

Contact: 	Chris Game
Union: 	National Tertiary Education Union
Phone: 	02 9212 5433