It has become clear in recent weeks that new requirements being placed on Universities and TAFE Institutes by the Federal Government will have a significant long term impact on members in these institutions.

In order for Federal funding to be paid to these bodies, the employer will be required to:

1. Offer all new staff AWA's or individual contracts

2. Cut unions out of the consultative processes within the organisations

3. Make it hard for staff to act collectively – provide no support for unions to communicate or work with members

4. Encourage the use of casual employment and fixed term contract staff
   

All of these tactics are designed to cut members' pay and conditions in the longer term.  The Government has already indicated very clearly that they intend to remove from Awards and Agreements references to long service leave, recreation leave loading and various forms of special leave.

By removing unions from the workplace, members will be no longer be able to obtain the level of support from unions that is available now.

University and TAFE staff don't want to work in an environment where they are competing against each other for the shrinking dollars going into higher education.

Members know that they earn more and work under better conditions when they join together to bargain collectively with their employer. The right to choose to be in a union and have that union negotiate is a right that all members should have and Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA's)/individual contracts are a direct attack on that right.

This Brief is for initial information. The CPSU will keep you informed of developments and of campaign details.

For further information, please contact Gayle Peak at gp@cpsu.asn.au

31 May 2005