Advocate, July 2021

Advocate VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021 ◆ ISSN 1329-7295

Bargaining begins!

WHS perspective in bargaining

Age of criminal responsibility

UQ Architecture spill ’n’ fill

Turnaround at RACGP

End deaths in custody

Vet workloads win at JCU

Indigenous Student Support

Still standing with Gerd

FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

INTERNATIONAL

The future of enterprise bargaining

Decolonial science

Raewyn Connell on making good universities

Police assault lecturers in Pakistan

Education Minister undersells the crisis in universities

University of Leicester boycott

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In this edition 2

Building a better, stronger union

24 Still standing with Gerd Dr Alison Barnes catches up with Gerd SchröderTurk 12 months on from when he fought back against Murdoch University’s outrageous legal claim for million-dollar compensation.

Dr Alison Barnes, National President

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Lifting the veil of secrecy Matthew McGowan, General Secretary

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Under attack there is still room for some optimism

26 Canadian union imposes rare censure of university

NEWS

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CAUT has voted to impose a rare censure on the University of Toronto in an academic freedom case.

Gabe Gooding, National Assistant Secretary

CLIMATE CHANGE

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What difference a year makes at RACGP

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Organising for bargaining: Activities ramping up in our Branches

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Allies of UON overturn Mark Vaile's appointment as Chancellor

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Cover image: NTEU University of Adelaide Branch delegates Jess, Ashleigh, Jacob, Angus and George. Credit: Dennis Kraaijenbrink

ACADEMIC FREEDOM

JCU Vet Science academic workloads win

29 We must fight back on climate change WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY 30 A bargaining agenda to make you feel better!

The importance of the workplace health & safety perspective in bargaining.

DELEGATE PROFILE

10 UQ Architecture Spill 'n' Fill

32 Jennifer Allen, WSU

WERTE!

INTERNATIONAL

11 Raising the age of criminal responsibility

33 Outrage in Pakistan as police assault lecturers protesting deep pay cuts

12 Federal Budget 2021/22 and Indigenous Student Support 14 End deaths in custody

Alan Tudge’s speech to Universities Australia was as notable for what he didn’t mention as much as it was for what he chose to focus on.

16 The future of enterprise bargaining

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34 Decolonial science: Towards more equitable knowledge practices Five concrete interventions for shifting practice in the production of scientific knowledge in response to the #RhodesMustFall movement.

FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION 15 Education Minister misses the mark and undersells the crisis in universities

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37 Support UCU's Leicester boycott

UK employers 'too cowardly' to stand up for education

MY UNION

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38 NTEU Scholarships 2021

Dr Alison Barnes speech to the Industrial Relations Society of NSW Conference on the Future of Enterprise Bargaining.

20 Making good universities For several decades there has been argument about the way universities are run and where university systems are heading. Raewyn Connell asks what make a good university.

22 Universities & the SDGs Universities have a unique and critical role in helping the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their research, teaching, operations and community leadership.

38 New Tas Div Sec Pat McConville is the new Tasmanian Division Secretary.

39 Our Uni, Our Union, our shout!

Research Promoter Promote your research to your fellow NTEU members via Sentry magazine.

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40 New NTEU staff & appointments

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NTEU Tax Guide 2020-21 Available now at nteu.org.au/tax

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

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◆ EDITORIAL

ADVOCATE

ISSN 1329-7295

All text & images ©NTEU 2021 unless otherwise stated

Publisher Matthew McGowan Editor Alison Barnes Production Manager Paul Clifton Editorial Assistance Anastasia Kotaidis,

Helena Spyrou Published by National Tertiary Education Union ABN 38 579 396 344

PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia Feedback & advertising advocate@nteu.org.au

READ ONLINE AT NTEU.ORG.AU/ADVOCATE

Dr Alison Barnes, National President k abarnes@nteu.org.au

D @alisonbarnes25

Building a better, stronger union Over the course of this year, the agreements between NTEU and university managements that outline conditions of employment at universities are being renegotiated by NTEU members.

Due to a deliberate strategy and effective campaigning by members during the last round of bargaining, these agreements all expire around the same time. So, during this round of enterprise bargaining and to our advantage – we really are all in this together.

NTEU NATIONAL EXECUTIVE National President Alison Barnes General Secretary Matthew McGowan National Assistant Secretary Gabe Gooding Vice-President (Academic) Andrew Bonnell Vice-President (General Staff) Cathy Rojas Acting A&TSI Policy Committee Chair

Sharlene Leroy-Dyer National Executive: Steve Adams, Nikola Balnave, Damien Cahill, Vince Caughley, Cathy Day, Andrea LamontMills, Michael McNally, Virginia Mansel Lees, Pat McConville, Cathy Moore, Rajeev Sharma, Melissa Slee, Ron Slee, Michael Thomson, Nick Warner

Advocate is available online free as a PDF and an e-book at nteu.org.au/advocate NTEU members may opt for ‘soft delivery’ of Advocate (email notification rather than printed version) at nteu.org.au/soft_delivery The plastic bags used for postage of Advocate to home addresses are 100% biodegradable.

In accordance with NTEU policy to reduce our impact on the natural environment, Advocate is printed using vegetable based inks with alcohol free printing initiatives on FSC certified paper under ISO 14001 Environmental Certification.

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This round of bargaining is especially critical. Enterprise bargaining will happen against a backdrop of ongoing staffing cuts and funding shortfalls as a result of COVID-19 and the Federal Government’s failure to provide a national rescue package or roadmap for recovery. During the last eighteen months Vice Chancellors have sought to make staff and students bear the cost of the pandemic. The maxim “never allow a good crisis to go to waste” has been shamefully deployed by the administrators of our stricken sector. Many of our million dollar Vice-Chancellors have enthusiastically tried to use the cover of the COVID crisis to restructure and discard staff, programs and departments.

Some have foreshadowed further job cuts this year at the same time as announcing financial surpluses.

It’s hard not to think that the broad employer agenda for this bargaining round will be to further reduce staff costs through limiting improvements to wages and conditions, more casualisation of the university workforce, and unhealthy and unrealistic workloads as fewer people are expected to do more.

But during all of the tough periods for staff in this sector, one thing holds true: the only effective thing standing against the agenda of university managements and hostile governments is university staff joining together in the NTEU. Joining together to stand for a different vision of what our universities can and should be for staff and students. But the extent to which we as NTEU members can address the myriad of issues for staff depends not on our will, but on our influence and power.

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

Which means that we need to do more than ever to build our workplace strength right across our universities. Building our network of NTEU workplace delegates so that there is one in every department, school and work unit. Growing our membership and inviting every staff member to join. Our Branches are taking a fresh look at strategies to engage with more members and university staff to build the Union’s strength in the lead-up to bargaining so we can all support our colleagues at the negotiating table. We can do this with effective member-led campaigns.

Bargaining is an opportunity to achieve our vision for the sector: workplaces not built on crippling workloads. Secure jobs, where the value of our work is recognised.

There are many ways that members can get involved, so talk to your workplace delegate or contact your Branch. Our Friday Sessions online discussion series, for example, is attracting big numbers of members (including amazing climate change activists who are also NTEU members) to engage with such diverse topics as addressing insecure work, the University of Sydney’s Dr Raewyn Connell on what is a ‘good university’ and university governance more generally. Watch out for future sessions. Most importantly talk to your colleagues about what we can achieve when we are all involved in building a strong voice for higher education workers.

We also need a longer term focus than just the current bargaining round. The Morrison Government’s agenda for the sector is clearly more short courses, more micro-credentialling, and greater specialisation that exacerbates inequality across our universities. This threatens to fundamentally change the higher education landscape, and we need to be sowing the seeds now for the future protection of the sector, both at the workplace level and the broader public policy level. ◆ Alison Barnes, National President

FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY ◆

Matthew McGowan, General Secretary k mmcgowan@nteu.org.au

D @NTEUNational

Lifting the veil of secrecy University Council governance is on our radar again. In recent years, a number of universities have found themselves in the spotlight due to attempts to silence or remove staff who sit on Councils as staff-elected representatives and who also happen to be union members. Now, we are hearing more concerning reports about others seeking to erode the staff voice in the highest decision-making body of the university.

Some universities are adopting secretive processes to avoid any external scrutiny of the decisions being made. Council agendas and minutes are often kept secret, or at least kept from public view. Do you know where to find these important documents? Decisions involving expenditure of millions of dollars of public funds should be open to scrutiny.

These decisions have direct impact on staff, students and the broader community served by the institution.

While it is reasonable that Councils are able to have occasional in-camera discussions on sensitive matters, it is not reasonable that the records of decisions are not made available. Or even worse, that the Council members themselves can be unaware of the items to be discussed ahead of time, leaving no opportunity to properly review or consider the issues.

or a critical eye? How many commercial boards would accept a practice where the Chairperson has exclusive knowledge of the agenda? Where Council members have no opportunity to research or review important Council matters ahead of time?

Staff representatives, who are often also union members, usually know the institutions better than those appointed externally. They bring a knowledge to Council that is vital for it to understand how the decisions they make impact

universities work or why they exist, other than the obvious point that they train people needed for their businesses. Most of the time, they do even represent the communities they live in.

Universities are not businesses like any other. They have a vital role in our society and do not operate like other companies.

They require transparency and accountability. To exclude student and staff voices is to deliberately present a blinked view.

University Councils need to be accountable to their staff, students and the broader communities universities How many decisions are made in serve. A number of universities camera, away from the public eye? have demonstrated what is wrong with University Governance when How many staff representatives they have exercised their power in are being excluded because they a self-serving way. As always, it is provide a voice of reason, or a the Union that must call this out for it to get the attention is needs. critical eye?

When issues of conflict arise, it is also not reasonable that the Chancellor declare a conflict and exclude an elected Council member without any information being provided about the nature of the issue to be discussed.

How many decisions are made in camera, away from the public eye? How many staff representatives are being excluded because they provide a voice of reason,

on the fulfilment of the charter of the institutions they serve. They know how the organisation works, and they often know where the bodies are buried. They know the difficult questions to ask. And it appears that this may be part of the problem.

The integrity of our universities is crucial for the functioning of healthy democratic institutions.

When secrecy and avoidance of scrutiny become the modus operandi, you have to ask, what have they got to hide? ◆ Matthew McGowan, General Secretary

Council members across the country are mainly from commercial backgrounds and frequently do not know much about how

Since 1958, the Australian Universities’ Review has been encouraging debate and discussion about issues in higher education and its contribution to Australian public life.

AUR is published twice a year by the NTEU. NTEU members are entitled to receive a free subscription on an opt-in basis .

If you are an NTEU member and would like to receive AUR, please email aur@nteu.org.au

www.aur.org.au ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

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◆ FROM THE NATIONAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Gabe Gooding, National Assistant Secretary k ggooding@nteu.org.au

Under attack there is still room for some optimism I’ve often been described as a glass-half-empty type of person, and there is some truth in that. In part it’s a family thing but also it is because I prefer to anticipate challenges and get ahead of them rather than be blindsided. If we are not prepared, a strategy that is always based on aggressive attack tactics may falter when the attack is on the other foot.

There is no doubt that the Government is in full attack mode against the sector (well, in as full an attack mode as they think they can get away with) and the challenges facing all of us who are committed to higher education are enormous.

The shameful abandonment of the sector during the unprecedented challenge to the Australian community that COVID represents is now well documented, as is the Government’s clear preference to continue to withdraw support from our universities. But these challenges are not insurmountable.

Our advantages in this fight We have some great advantages to help us face our serious challenges.

Our members are passionate about the sector and the importance of the work that they do every day. We all know the vital role that a robust university sector plays in Australian society, and we are the best people to take that message out to the public. Our commitment to that campaign is strong.

We also have committed and skilled staff and activists across the country who can take the challenge to government at every level. Our heavily democratic union, with over 800 elected positions is an important strength that ensures that members are represented at all levels of the Union. This vibrant democracy can be seen in the number of contested elections occurring now.

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We are also welcoming new leaders at the local level with many Branches having elected a new Branch President this time, along with welcoming back some experienced hands who bring knowledge and expertise gained in their time in this important elected position. Each and every member who participates in the Union shows their commitment to a stronger NTEU. Finally, in the advantages column, NTEU and our members always rise to the challenge when we are threatened and we have an unparalleled history of repulsing employer attacks on our conditions and on the fabric of the sector.

Adapting to circumstances Last year was characterised by adaption to a suddenly new environment where our usual methods of engaging with, and representing members were thrown into disarray.

Through the excellent work of elected officer bearers at all levels, delegates, activists and of course our marvellous NTEU staff, we have developed new methods of engaging and campaigning that have proven to be highly effective and are likely to stay with us for some time to come.

COVID of course meant the delay of many projects that the National Officers had committed to as we focused on the challenges of 2020.

Workplace Health & Safety Close to my heart, our Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) project working on using the power in WHS to improve working conditions was delayed, but in optimist mode, we were forced to rapidly develop capacity and reach out to Health and Safety Representatives quickly as the demand of members for advice on safe working conditions during COVID escalated.

We now have a good map of Health and Safety Representatives and are starting to see WHS actions being used by NTEU members more broadly.

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New projects Like WHS, most of the projects are getting back on track. Our commitment to become an active union built on membership action, with more consultation and power at the ground level is gradually taking shape. Along with that, a key goal for the National Officers has been to bring our systems into this century, having only marginally evolved since originally constructed.

In line with our commitment to evidence-based decision making, we are undertaking research into member and non-member attitudes to the Union. This work will be used to develop a new communication strategy that will better allow us to engage with members and potential members.

At the same time, the leadership has invested in a new modern data system that will markedly increase our efficiency and allow us to target communications to individual concerns.

The new database will also drive a new website which will be customised to each member so that areas in which they have expressed an interest, including their local news, will be highlighted. It will also allow us to further professionalise our industrial support to members who are in need.

Members should start seeing the differences in the coming months. When linked to a re-jigged bargaining strategy that seeks to build bargaining at each Branch on a solid foundation of member input and actions, there is, in fact, quite a lot to be optimistic about.

The challenges are here but we are putting ourselves in the best possible position to defeat them. ◆ Gabe Gooding, National Assistant Secretary

NEWS ◆

What a difference a year makes at RACGP In just one year, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has transformed from a hostile, anti-union workplace to one where NTEU’s input is sought out and valued. The magic ingredient for the change has been NTEU members getting organised and helping staff to stand up for themselves.

Impetus for change In June last year, NTEU was informed that the RACGP intended to remove a scheduled pay rise, through a vote of all staff to vary the Enterprise Agreement.

HR misleadingly described this as a ‘halt to a 3% uplift’, because of financial difficulties brought about by the pandemic.

Staff were told in a separate management briefing that if they voted ‘No’ that they could face redundancies, stand downs, or be forced to take leave without pay.

NTEU members swung into action. They organised a flyer critiquing the proposed pay cut which circulated like wildfire around the organisation. The flyer showed the cumulative reduction in take home pay and superannuation over a two year period, pointed out that the company would receive some $6.3million in JobKeeper payments, and addressed a number of other issues around income and expenditure.

New CEO brings change Soon after, the RACGP appointed a new CEO, Dr Matthew Miles, who corresponded with and met Branch representatives.

Interim Branch President, Damian Maganja, gave a frank rendition of the survey results, and the CEO told us his vision for transforming the organisation.

In a bulletin to staff on 18 November 2021, the CEO described the encounter as 'a positive and solution based meeting.'

He wrote, 'Collectively – including with the support of the NTEU RACGP Branch – we must work to improve transparency, communication, team member development opportunities, and workplace flexibility.'

Since Dr Miles’ appointment, the HR function at the RACGP has completely changed. It is no longer a bastion of managerial prerogative, but is actively helping staff who seek assistance through the Union to deal with matters such as grievances and flexibility requests. The CEO has also directly intervened in some individual cases to the advantage of staff. HR has undertaken to review the designated work groups for the College

in consultation with NTEU, and to elect fresh Health & Safety Representatives into each group.

Revitalising the Branch The experience of organising collectively to represent the views of colleagues led, in March 2021, to the formal election of an RACGP Branch Committee for the first time in well over a decade. Having properly elected representatives will make next year’s enterprise bargaining significantly easier than in previous years.

New Branch President, Courtney Walker, and I have met several times with the CEO and HR to discuss workplace issues and each meeting continues to build on the constructive working relationship.

There is still a long way to go to improve the culture at the RACGP at the workplace level. As a very hierarchical organisation there is still a sense that simple decisions are tied up in too much bureaucracy. Many staff are still fearful, and thwarted by some middle managers from having reasonable autonomy in their jobs. The Union and its members will continue to actively work to address such structural and cultural issues.

Just 12 months after the RACGP tried to cut staff pay, management has written to the NTEU to say that they intend to voluntarily increase the superannuation of all staff by 0.5%, in July 2021, instead of absorbing the Superannuation Guarantee rise into the existing 13.5% in the Agreement.

Members were able to counteract HR’s propaganda at a large open Union meeting via Zoom and the pay cut ballot was narrowly defeated with 51% voting to retain the rise.

What a difference a year – a new CEO, and a workforce willing to stand up for itself – has made. ◆

Following this win – which shook the ranks of senior management – a group of active members decided to design and distribute a comprehensive workplace survey.

The survey was conducted between July and August and it was clear that this was one of first opportunities where staff felt able to speak their minds about their experience working at RACGP. Their assessment of their employer was scathing.

Serena O’Meley, Industrial Officer, NTEU Victorian Division Image:NTEU flyer informing members and staff of the RACGP survey results.

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

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◆ NEWS

Organising for bargaining Activities ramping up in our Branches location and the cost of the calls is paid for by the NTEU.

WSU Branch The Western Sydney University (WSU) Branch had set a target to ensure 20% of members attend the endorsement meeting to secure our log of claims for enterprise bargaining. To do this, we reached out to members encouraging them to participate in this democratic process.

As WSU spans across nine campuses, we have a Campaign Network with Campus Coordinators at each campus to ensure we communicate effectively across our multi campus base.

We continually recruit and develop members to the Network so that we have enough people to call on as well as provide opportunities for more members to share the load so it isn't left up to a few to do the work of many.

Our campaign timetable will not always fit with our members' work schedules so the more members we recruit to it and develop, the more we ensure we

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are not left short of volunteers to help on our key activities.

The idea of how the Network will function is to come together to share ideas for campaign activities/messaging and help with conversations updates and recruitment conversations. Campus Coordinators – preferably Branch Committee members – help drive local activities and send resources to the network team for distribution.

We began by inviting delegates and activists from our Campaign Network to attend an online info session on a software system called Call Hub. Call Hub allows us to upload our member contact information, provide a conversation guideline for the caller and delegates/activists can make calls using their own phone/computer from any

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It was our first time using the system.

Callers found the system easy to use and enjoyed talking to colleagues across the University. They felt encouraged when members expressed appreciation for getting in touch about this important meeting. They also appreciated the flexibility when calls could be made to juggle work and family commitments.

The team made hundreds of calls in six working days. A couple of Campaign Networkers were so passionate about encouraging member participation they made 50 calls individually. We achieved our 20% attendance target and it was a great feeling for all involved to know that the one-to-one member conversations paid off.

To all passionate NTEU activists out there, we win when we communicate with each other. Management will not progress issues on the bargaining agenda so the Branch has to do it through regular communication with rank and file members to encourage their active participation. ◆ Sharon Bailey, NSW Division Organiser

NEWS ◆

Other problems we’re facing are the usual resistance and fear from some members and non-members about being visibly associated with the Union and being punished as a result – there’s a significant amount of precarity of employment at UniSA as in most other universities around the country.

UniSA Branch Currently at the University of South Australia (UniSA) Branch, we’re celebrating the Union won pay rise by shouting members and potential members a coffee at UniSA campuses. We’re activating members through posters, vouchers, social media activities and conversations across campuses.

We’re following up with everyone that attended the log of claims meeting and local area meetings to ask them to share info with colleagues, members and non-members alike and we’re getting people to wear badges (whenever we can) that say: 'Ask me why I joined'.

All our delegates are involved as is the Branch Committee. We also have a Campaign Committee. We meet regularly and work together to plan and execute decisions. Each have tasks and responsibilities and are responsive to requests for involvement and opinions. I use every tool in my kit – email, phone, SMS, randomly appearing at people’s office doors, and just my general sparkling personality.

I’m hoping to: increase our membership by about 100 and delegates by about 20; continue all member consultative

CQU Branch Central Queensland University (CQU) is one of the most exposed in the sector in relation to over-reliance on international students for survival. In response more than 300 positions were shed in short order.

We lost half of the NTEU Branch Committee, two thirds of our delegate and activist network and all the associated experience and networks. So where do you start to rebuild? Fortunately, the Branch had been very active in skilling members and delegates to understand and enforce their rights. So, this provided a sort of succession plan for delegates to become Branch Committee members and engaged members to become delegates.

meetings and report back to members; make short videos following each bargaining meeting from our bargaining team to keep the membership updated.

So far, we’ve increased membership by 17 since early May; used peer-to-peer SMS technology to invite members to the log of claims meeting and ensure attendance; hosted 28 local area meetings and had over 800 responses to our log of claims survey. This resulted record attendance at our log of claims endorsement meeting.

UniSA management have released a vague log of claims that doesn’t say much unsurprisingly. They’re also saying, in public forums, how unreasonable our expectations are. In response, we’ve circulated an email to members acknowledging management’s response and we’re keeping a close eye on what comes out of the next meeting.

The remaining Committee members assisted the Organiser to identify members who were influential in their work areas, and they’re being systematically approached to step up. We used meeting attendance lists, email traffic, and questioning of members about who the ‘go to’ colleagues were for assistance to identify engaged members and potential leaders.

What’s been fantastic is the realisation that while voluntary separations had a heavy impact upon our longer serving members, they’ve also changed the demographic of our remaining membership, and new recruits. We have new, younger delegates, to better engage with our younger members and potential members.

New delegates work in an increasingly ‘online’ workplace, which also makes them ideal to recruit and organise in that

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

To counter this, we’re having lots of conversations, providing opportunities for people to give feedback anonymously and trying to build collective strength by taking more of a structured approach to building power so that no one feels like they have to be out on their own.

I’ve been working closely with Gabe Gooding (NTEU National Assistant Secretary) on this process. She has imparted much knowledge and I’m super grateful. I’ve learned this period is hectic and keeping busy is an understatement. I’ve also learned our membership is hungry for information and action and are willing to step up, especially when they feel supported to do so.

What are the next steps? Revisit my to-do list – it changes daily!

I’m hoping as NTEU Organisers we can continue to support and keep talking with each other. We’ve pulled off some great wins over the years and we could sure do with some in this round of bargaining. ◆ Becc Galdies, SA Division Organiser

same online mode. We’ve recruited sixteen new delegates this year. Not a single member we’ve approached has declined.

At times I think I’ve felt more uncertainty about approaching them than they’ve expressed in accepting. So, we’re learning that sometimes it’s necessary to create a vacuum to allow new activists to emerge and flourish. And NTEU members have enough faith in the collective to feel safe to step up if they are approached and supported.

Next comes more activity around visibility and of course, recruitment. But it’s been rewarding to see all that past activity and training reveal our next network of Delegates and Activists feeling confident to step up. ◆ Angela Sheers, CQU Branch Industrial Organiser

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◆ NEWS

Allies of UON overturn Mark Vaile's appointment as Chancellor The overturning of the decision to appoint Mark Vaile as Chancellor of the University of Newcastle (UON) provides a clear example of how grassroots activism can prevail, even at short notice and under extreme duress.

The announcement that Vaile, former head of the National Party and current Chairman of Whitehaven Coal, would become the new Chancellor of the UON was met with widespread community protest and national media attention. His appointment gave rise to a spontaneous outpouring of concern from an unexpected alliance of different University stakeholders. Vaile’s subsequent decision to step back from this appointment has been a welcome ray of hope in what are undeniably tough times for our community.

The pressure applied to the University Council over Mark Vaile’s appointment came from many different directions at once. Concerns included Whitehaven Coal’s notorious environmental and legal track record. Alarm was first raised with an historic resignation by a democratically elected academic staff representative to University Council over the appointment process. Strong voices spoke out about the ‘optics’ of the appointment and its misalignment with the University’s own strategic plan, such as its commitment to the Hunter Region’s economic transition and its critical need for a Chancellor who could be a strong advocate for the higher education sector.

What happened at UON provides a clear indication that grassroots activism can prevail, even at short notice and under extreme duress. This is not a victory that can be claimed by any single individual or organisation. It is something much more unexpected and powerful than that: an alliance that emerged organically to bring together the local community, Indigenous groups, environmentalists, University staff, students, future students, alumni, and donors in a groundswell of resistance.

Current and former NTEU members played a part in this – but they did not lead or direct the campaign. In fact, representa-

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tives from many of the groups involved are still trying to piece together the ways different parts of this protest developed and ultimately came together. There are good lessons to be learned here about how we can continue to build strong community alliances into the future.

In the week following news of Vaile’s appointment, Jennifer Martin, an elected academic Council member, resigned. Gomeroi woman and UON alumna Aimee Mehan started a change.org petition, #RejectVaile #Protect Country, stating that 'Whitehaven have been fined for numerous offences on Gomeroi Country including theft of 1 billion litres of water during drought.' It amassed 2,100 signatures.

Senior staff and student leaders, including UNSA our local student Union and NTEU Newcastle Branch representatives, spoke out against the appointment in the media.

Richard Dennis, chief economist at the Australia Institute, returned his University of Newcastle alumni award in protest.

Meanwhile, two Newcastle residents set up a Facebook group, Allies of UON, to provide a platform for those interested in a broad range of issues related to the University. Local community groups, such as The Newcastle Echo, Food Not Bombs, Lock the Gate, and the Hunter Community Environment Centre, provided key resources, including physical and online space, for the evolving campaign.

NTEU members had been fighting for months against brutal job cuts at UON. That week, NTEU delegates delivered a petition of over 4,500 signatures calling on the Vice-Chancellor and University Council to save jobs. NTEU members who had been fighting UON job cuts, connected with the Allies of UON group in support.

Realising that momentum was building in a number of quarters, a snap protest was organised for Friday June 11, under the banner 'No Cuts, No Coal'. PhD student Tom and fellow activist Elena describe the organising of the first protest as 'a beautiful convergence of voices, each with connections and capacities that formed an integral piece of the event, from speakers lists, to megaphones and placards, media outreach, community engagement and Facebook event curation. If

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

it hadn’t been for the fact that there were existing grassroots connections within the broader community – it’s likely the event wouldn’t have happened.'

The campaign’s momentum was accelerated by media reporting and public statements from other University stakeholders. Both private and open letters of protest were written directly to University Council members and the Vice-Chancellor, from Greens politicians, donors, staff and students. Philanthropists (who collectively donate millions to environmental and sustainability projects) took out a full-page ad in the Newcastle Herald to protest Vaile’s appointment. A subsequent full-page ad from Lock the Gate and Newcastle Student Strikers built further pressure, and national media continued to debate the appointment and its fallout.

UNSA student representatives organised a second protest on campus that attracted students, UNSA and NTEU members, academics, teachers and professional staff. UNSA President Luka Harrison reflects that 'students had been dissatisfied with the University administration for months over proposed job cuts, so the appointment of Vaile with no student consultation seemed like a real slap in the face. UNSA was very pleased to be a part of the Allies of UON campaign and the opportunity it provided students to take part in a real grassroots campaign that delivered a win.'

Resistance to Vaile’s appointment erupted simultaneously from many different quarters. It was fast moving and led from the ground up. It is important to understand how the success of the campaign to make his appointment untenable depended on many different moving parts.

As Sharon Cooper of Allies of UON, a long-time NTEU Newcastle casual staff member, describes it: 'This is one of the first times I have witnessed staff and students in such close alliance in activism, and I've been here, as a student and staff member, since 1989.' Cooper points out that many of the Allies of UON are not current staff or students of the University, but members of the community who care deeply about its future. continued opposite page...

NEWS ◆

JCU Veterinary Science

Academic workloads win James Cook University (JCU) School of Veterinary Sciences members are working together to resolve their excessive workload issues with management, with a new workload model made in consultation with staff and their union.

The excessive workloads were caused by a combination of the failure of management to fill gaps when staff leave and the provision of a workload model that did not reflect the time it takes to get things done. As a result of their campaign, NTEU members negotiated a new workload model with management and increased membership and agency for workers at the School.

What further complicates the workloads of JCU Vet Academics are the hours they are required to perform in the JCU Vet Clinic (a body previously owned outright by JCU). These hours aren't paid separately but are taken from the service quotient of their workloads.

As staff left JCU and COVID-19 made international recruitment much more complex, staff worked more and more hours at the clinic to cover the gaps, without any corresponding lowering of hours from their institution.

Aduli Malau-Aduli is a veterinary science academic, an NTEU Workplace Rep, and Branch Committee member.

He has been working hard with his colleagues in the vet school to resolve the workload issue.

'It is an old story. Someone leaves, and those who remain pick up the bits and pieces and then carry on. But, as the work kept getting done I think manage-

ment did not think it was as urgent as it was to hire new staff.'

The workloads hit a head in March 2020, and staff decided enough was enough.

'My hours were well in excess of the workload allocation. But before I started any action, I wanted to knock on a few doors in the School and see that the problem wasn't just me,' said Aduli.

Aduli did just that and found very quickly that excessive workloads was an issue affecting the whole School.

'So we had an all-staff meeting in the School, where we started talking about our workloads and comparing notes with each other. What became clear very quickly was that the workload model we had did not give fair and reasonable amounts of time in which to perform tasks,' said Aduli.

'We decided to approach management, but we had to make sure we could articulate our problems and proposed solutions clearly before we did. Management knew there were real problems, but what they wanted was evidence and more proof. Through a series of staff meetings, and help from our union, we got that proof and lodged a dispute.'

Following the lodgement of the dispute, management conducted an audit of workloads in JCU Vet Science.

'Once the audit was done, there was no denying the problem.'

After the audit, management, staff and the Union met to develop a new workload model. Times for tasks were developed from the most common times in the audit, and there were a couple of Zoom sessions following where management would present a new

model, and staff would point out the inconsistencies. After a few iterations of a proposed workload model, management, staff and their union came to an agreement.

In response to the members' work in JCU to collate evidence, management quickly responded by reallocating some administrative tasks that were chewing up a lot of hours and re-energised their processes for finding new staff for the School surgery. These changes have immensely improved JCU Vet staff's work-life balance in conjunction with a new workload model.

Even with a new workload model, the consultation does not end, with a quarterly working party set up to review the model over 2021. The new model isn't perfect, but it can only improve with a mechanism in place for further consultation between management, staff, and their union. ◆ Mike Oliver, Senior State Organiser Image: Aduli Malau-Aduli , NTEU member

Allies of UON overturn Mark Vaile's appointment as Chancellor cont...

Newcastle NTEU Branch Vice President, Emma Joel echoes these sentiments: 'We commend the efforts and camaraderie of those working collectively to take a principled stand in the defence of our en-

vironment, our University and our shared futures. Our Branch and our members will continue to support our University allies in our shared efforts to support higher education and its values in our region.' ◆

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

Sharon Cooper, Luka Harrison, Emma Joel, Trisha Pender, Jenny Whittard NTEU University of Newcastle Branch

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◆ NEWS

UQ Architecture

Spill 'n' Fill NTEU members at the University of Queensland (UQ) Architecture have successfully fought a proposal from Management to disestablish their positions and make them apply for their own jobs – a process called a spill 'n' fill.

The 'Save UQ Architecture' Campaign declared victory in April, forcing Management to rethink their proposal. Victory came after a brilliant, six-month campaign involving NTEU Members, other staff from the UQ Architecture School, the wider university, and the community (including Architecture professionals and alumni from right across Australia).

Management first dropped the proposal to 'spill 'n' fill' the UQ Architecture School at staff's feet in November 2020. The proposal was to declare all 19 Academic positions in the School vacant and invite staff to reapply for the jobs created after the restructuring. Some staff would miss out in the re-application process. What management had proposed was a brutal game of musical chairs.

In response, NTEU Members in the school commenced immediate action – meeting and deciding not to accept management's proposal and instead campaign against management's remorseless spill 'n' fill proposal.

Overnight, the site www.saveuqarchitecture.com sprung up, as did a petition at nteu.org.au/uq/architecture. The membership of the NTEU at UQ, and across the Queensland Division, were alerted, activated, and invited to join the campaign by signing the petition, writing a submission to the Head of School, and/ or attending a rally.

The petition attracted more than 1,221 signatures from staff and the community!

It took a banner of three metres by one metre to accommodate all the signatures of support received by the campaign. The petition banner was unveiled at a large rally held in the Great Court at St Lucia, and the petition was presented to the Head of School in late 2020.

Kelly Greenop is an NTEU Workplace Representative from the School of

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Architecture and was one of the driving forces behind the Save UQ Architecture campaign.

'So many people turned out to that rally!' said Kelly. 'We had supporters from inside and outside the Union, as well as NTEU members from other institutions and the Architecture industry. It felt so good to unveil the thousand-name petition in front of the crowd.'

The petition of 1,221 names represented people from the School, the university sector more widely, and the Architecture professional community. Management could see that their proposal was widely opposed. The united efforts of these three groups – School, university, and community – led to this campaign's successful outcome.

'Asking if anyone wanted to go has to be a more humane, sensible way of going about this. Anything has to be better than making all the academics reapply for their positions,' Kelly said.

Some staff indicated they would be willing to leave. University management significantly modified its proposal and agreed that if five current staff accepted voluntary redundancies, then a total spill 'n' fill of the entire academic staff would be withdrawn.

'So many people have contributed to this victory, but it is first and foremost a result of collective action enabled by the NTEU, its active membership, and executive,' said Kelly.

Five staff did step forward and took 'one for the team. We acknowledge and thank our five colleagues who have chosen this path, and appreciate immensely what they have done,' said Kelly.

'The solidarity of colleagues inside the School, across UQ and from universities and communities across Australia, and around the world actually, who rallied to our side, ensured that we were not alone, and UQ knew it. We want to thank everyone who supported us, signed the petition, made submissions, and attended the rally. It was all needed, and it worked.'

Thanks to the campaign by members and the sacrifice of five staff, jobs and livelihoods have been saved. The NTEU campaign – which involved so many from within the School, across UQ and the wider profession and communities of interest – was a resounding success.

Apart from the petition and actions, members worked and organised together to create a collective submission to management's proposal that would clearly show workable alternatives and the lack of necessity in management's proposal.'

'We provided robust, informed and detailed feedback to the various iterations of the change proposal that UQ Management put forward,' said Kelly. 'These were effective in demonstrating much better alternatives to the proposal.'

One alternative was to ask if any staff would voluntarily accept a redundancy to make up the short-fall between the current number of Academics in the School and the number proposed by Management. NTEU members launched a survey to ask just that.

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

However, Kelly says there is still a lot of work to be done to rebuild the School's culture and energy. 'This proposal and counter-campaign have taken their toll on the morale of the school. But as a group of unionists, we have grown stronger – both in numbers and in our commitment to each other.'

'Union membership and collective action gave us agency and connected us to networks of people from whom we gained strength and solidarity Standing strongly together, we made a difference, demonstrating that no spills-and-fills are inevitable.'

'UQ will think twice before deciding such a brutal course of action against their staff in the future. And well they should.' said Kelly. ◆ Mike Oliver, Senior State Organiser Image: Kelly Greenop, NTEU member

WERTE! ◆

Raising the age of criminal responsibility Uncle Rodney Dillon attended a meeting of the NTEU Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy Committee (A&TSIPC) to seek our support for Amnesty International’s campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility in Australia.

Age of criminal responsibility As it stands, despite recommendations from the United Nations to increase the age to 14, the age of criminal responsibility in Australia remains at 10 years old. This incredibly young age has many impacts.

Due to Aboriginal people being the most criminalised people in the world, this means that Aboriginal children are disproportionately imprisoned in the juvenile detention system. In some jurisdictions, Aboriginal children already make up 100% of current inmates and the younger kids are imprisoned, the worse the outcomes are.

Aboriginal children are significantly more likely to fall victim to current laws due to institutional racism, higher likelihood of poverty and so forth.

The current laws mean that primary-aged children are currently being exposed to abuse and brutality within the criminal justice system, such as what was exposed many years ago via the special report into Don Dale Juvenile Detention Centre in the NT. Under current laws, 10 year old children are able to be restrained, stripsearched and be exposed to many other things which will have a lasting impact on them.

Children who already have a criminal record at the age of 14 are significantly less likely to achieve employment success later in life. Eighty per cent of these children will also go on to serve subsequent sentences in both the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems.

As stated by Amnesty International: 'Australia’s current treatment of children under criminal law violates their human rights under the Convention of the Rights of the Child. It also disproportionately impacts Indigenous kids, perpetuating cycles of racism and re-offending. Australia has also faced repeated criticism from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for not raising the age'.

This change to existing law is well overdue.

Criminalising children Criminalising already socially vulnerable children is also a short cut for governments who are unwilling to address real social inequities and fund adequate support services. Uncle Rodney Maynard spoke additionally of the outreach and support programs that Amnesty International is running and/or developing to ensure children who are at risk of being criminalised are engaged and helped including 'on country' initiatives.

It says a lot about a country which touts itself as the place of a 'fair go for all' that it feels 10 year old children, and particularly 10 year old Indigenous children, are irredeemable and must be institutionalised. At a time, for example, where there are cuts to the JobSeeker allowance, public education, social housing and so forth, states such as Victoria are plunging funding into increasing prisons and employing more corrections officers.

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

A child who is 10 years old should be in school, with their family, and supported in as many ways as possible to grow into a happy and healthy adult. Imprisoning them for often minor misdemeanours ensures the latter is mostly not possible.

NTEU support campaign At the February meeting of the A&TSIPC, a motion was passed in support of raising the age of criminality. and was then endorsed at the March meeting of the NTEU National Executive.

All Divisions and Branches are encouraged to pass similar motions and join local campaigns to raise the age of criminality.

Members are also encouraged to write to their local members expressing their concerns at the continuing imprisonment of children and the repeated failures to address the social inequities which often accompany these frightful statistics.

For further information, please contact the NTEU National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit. ◆ Celeste Liddle, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Organiser Further information about Amnesty International’s campaign: www.amnesty.org.au/why-we-needto-raise-the-minimum-age-ofcriminal-responsibility Image: Amnesty International

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◆ WERTE!

Werte!

Advocate's Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander news section is Werte! (pronounced wer-da).

An Arrernte (NT) word, it's a greeting like 'hello' and can also be used to grab someone’s attention.

Federal Budget 2021/22 and Indigenous Student Support For the first time since the 2018-19 Budget, the current Budget's funding allocation for the Indigenous Student Assistance Grants (ISAG)/ Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) has been greater than $72 million.

Federal Budget 2021-22 & A&TSI student support 2021-22 Budget

2020-21 Budget 24-25

74,806 73,228 73,484

23-24 72,539 72,611

22-23

72,322 72,358

21-22 71,682

20-21 $70,000

$74,000

$72,000

Figure 1: First year allocations and forward estimates 2020-21 and 2021-22 Federal Budgets

In this Federal Budget there has been an increase in funding, although this funding increase is very modest and does not address the significant funding losses and efficiency dividends that have plagued the ISAG/ISSP over previous financial years. Figure 1 outlines the budget and forward estimate allocations from both the 2020-21 and 2021-2022 Federal Budgets.

When comparing the previous year’s Federal Budget forward estimates to the current year funding allocation, an overall, funding increase of $36,000 was applied to the ISSP, with an estimated further increase of $661,000 over the forward estimates to 2024-25.

1. Society & Culture 2. Health 3. Education 4. Management & Commerce 5. Creative Arts 6. Natural & Physical 7. Mixed Field Programs 8. Engineering & related technologies 9. Information Technology 10. Agriculture, Enviro. & related studies 11. Architecture & Building 12. Food, Hospitality & Personal Services 13. Non-award courses 0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

Figure 2: 2019 full-year student data – A&TSI by broad field of education

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The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet's Portfolio Budget Statements for 2021-22 details the Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) allocations for the current financial year and forward estimates to 2024-25.

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

In total (first year and forward estimates) there has been an estimated funding increase of $697,000, this is a drop in the ocean when considering – $1.37 million was stripped from the ISSP in the previous financial year and forward estimates. This slight increase over a period of four years, will do nothing to ensuring increased support is available for current and future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) students.

WERTE! ◆

Job Ready Graduates package

A&TSI staff and students Despite this Federal Government and its predecessors applying funding cuts and efficiency dividends to this vital program, the numbers of A&TSI students completing their final year of secondary education continues to increase.

In the 2019 full year student data, a total of 9,425 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students commenced tertiary studies (1.5% of all commencing students), with a total student cohort of 21,097 A&TSI students enrolled in universities across the country (1.3% of all enrolled students). When examining total fixed-term and ongoing A&TSI staff, in 2020 a total of 1,743 staff were employed, this translates to 1.3% (head count) of all fixed-term and ongoing university staff.

To show the growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff, figures 3 and 4 detail the national employment trend for A&TSI staff over the past two decades (Figure 3), along with all staff, commencing and all A&TSI students as a percentage of all staff, all commencing and all students (Figure 4).

The percentage of A&TSI students is increasing, while the number of A&TSI staff is only keeping pace. The need to maintain and grow the number of A&TSI staff employed is paramount, particularly with the number of commencing and all A&TSI students in 2019.

1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400

Figure 3: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Academic and General/ Professional Staff 2000-2020

The Federal Government has not planned for the numbers of A&TSI students enrolled in the Australian higher education sector, nor has it examined the needs of A&TSI peoples embarking upon their journey to achieve post-secondary qualifications.

the Morrison Government's Job Ready Graduates package, and when coupled with funding increases that do not recognise the existing funding shortfall, A&TSI students will only experience greater difficulties and roadblocks when attempting to obtain post-school qualifications.

To add further insult to injury, the impacts of the Job Ready Graduates package are yet to be seen, and with several Australian universities and higher education providers continuing to experience funding difficulties arising from the impacts of COVID-19 in 2020, and the resulting downturn in international student numbers, A&TSI students will suffer greatly in years to come.

If the Federal Government is serious about increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff, a substantial funding increase is urgently needed.

This situation did present a unique opportunity for the Australian Government to encourage and attract a greater number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to higher education. This opportunity has been effectively lost through

Unless a one-off funding injection of approximately $40 million is allocated to the ISSP in the 2022-23 financial year with ongoing funding increases across the forward estimates, A&TSI students and staff will bear the brunt of the Morrison Government's failings. ◆ Adam Frogley, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Director

A&TSI Staff (as a % of all staff) A&TSI Commencing Students (as a % of all students) All A&TSI Students (as a % of all students) 1.6% 1.4% 1.2% 1.0% 0.8% 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17 20 18 20 19

These enrolments total 51% of all enrolments by A&TSI students and it is difficult to see how A&TSI students will not be impacted by the Job Ready Graduates package in the coming years. Figure 2 details A&TSI student enrolments into broad field of study areas.

A&TSI Staff

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For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the top five broad fields of education by enrolment include three of the areas targeted by the Job Ready Graduates package. This includes, society and culture (7,006), management and commerce (2,211) and creative arts (1,542).

A&TSI Students 1,800

20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17 20 18 20 19 20 20

We are yet to see the impact of the Job Ready Graduates package, and it is expected we will not see the full influence on A&TSI staff and students, employment, and enrolments until 2022/23.

While 2019 full-year student data shows strong enrolments, a total of 10,759 A&TSI students are enrolled in those broad fields of education targeted by the Job Ready Graduates package.

Figure 4: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander – all staff, all commencing students and all students

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

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◆ WERTE!

End deaths in custody In late March, it was noted that in a mere five week period, seven Aboriginal deaths in custody had occurred across the country. On 10 April, a nation-wide protest was held to call for action which, for decades, has been ignored.

This year marks 30 years since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was tabled in Federal Parliament.

This work was undertaken because it was noted that Aboriginal people were being incarcerated at higher rates and therefore there appeared to be a disproportionate number of deaths of Aboriginal people whilst within the prison system.

In particular, the death of 16 year old John Pat in 1983 at the hands of WA police was a (horrific) turning point when it came to consciousness and awareness raising of Aboriginal deaths in custody, particularly as an all-white jury acquitted all 5 police officers of manslaughter.

Despite the Royal Commission report containing some 339 recommendations, very few of these recommendations have been implemented by successive Australian governments and the Indigenous prison population has, in fact, grown in proportion since the Royal Commission.

Laws for minor misdemeanours, such as public drunkenness and offensive language, which were found to disproportionately get used against Aboriginal people still exist in some jurisdictions.

Aboriginal women are one of the fastest growing prison populations in the world and Aboriginal people are the most incarcerated peoples globally.

In addition to this, deaths in custody have continued to occur. Since the tabling of the Royal Commission report there have been at least 460 deaths of Aboriginal people in police custody. Some have happened within the prison system or whilst a person is on remand whilst others have occurred during the process of arrest, for example whilst under police pursuit.

allegedly using counterfeit currency, and dying of asphyxia after also complaining repeatedly of not being able to breathe.

Riots across the US broke out shutting down many cities, and Black Lives Matter rallies were held across the world including here in Australia.

had died in police custody in a five week period.

At the NSW Division Council meeting in April, Councillors passed a motion resolving to raise awareness amongst members and undertaking the following: • Developing an open letter.

• Coordination of letter-writing to MPs and Ministers.

• Establishing working groups of A&TSI and non-Indigenous members to raise the profile of deaths in custody through events.

• Donating/raising money to groups working for justice such as Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA Sydney), Sisters Inside, and Justice for David Dungay Jnr. • Encouraging members to promote the issue to students through teaching, where practicable.

This motion was taken on to National Executive for further action and national endorsement.

The tragic deaths of teenagers TJ Hickey in Sydney, along with Chris Drage and Trisjack Simpson in WA are examples of the latter. The Royal Commission recommendations continue to gather dust whilst Aboriginal people continue to die in the criminal justice system.

It’s key that the NSW Division Council motion mentions the Justice for David Dungay Jnr campaign. David Dungay Jnr was a young Aboriginal man who suffered from diabetes and was reprimanded by prison guards after refusing to stop eating a packet of biscuits in his cell in 2015. Dungay was dragged out of his cell, injected with sedatives and later died after stating 12 times as he was being restrained that he couldn’t breathe.

This year, however, renewed shock and a call for action occurred when it was recorded that seven Aboriginal people

Last year, the world watched on in horror as African-American man George Floyd was filmed being restrained by police for

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ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

In the local context, parallels were drawn between the deaths in custody of African American people in the US and the continued deaths of Aboriginal people here.

The case of David Dungay Jnr, in particular, finally received some attention due to the chilling parallel of the final words of both men being repeated that they couldn’t breathe as they were suffocated in custody. It served as a reminder that injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here continue to this day and they mainly continue due to repeated systemic failures to address racism and the over-incarceration of Indigenous people.

Over the years, the NTEU has been a vocal supporter of the campaigns to address Aboriginal deaths in custody, and has supported Black Lives Matter rallies both globally and locally. Many motions have been passed at both Division and National levels calling on the Union to continue its support of these campaigns as well as advocating against the continued over-incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the deaths that occur whilst people are criminalised.

At the 30 year anniversary of the Royal Commission, and noting that deaths have continued, it is timely that the NTEU renews its commitment to ending these injustices and commits to lobbying governments to finally implement all of the recommendations of the Royal Commission's report.

Aboriginal people cannot continue to die whilst these recommendations gather decades worth of dust. ◆ Celeste Liddle, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Organiser Image: Poster in support of Justice for David Dungay Jnr.

FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ◆

Education Minister misses the mark and undersells the crisis in universities Education Minister Alan Tudge’s recent speech to the Universities Australia conference is as notable for what he didn’t mention as much as it is for what he chose to focus on.

The core proposition the Government is pushing is that while things have been a little tough for higher education, universities just need to get on with it and work to the Government’s policy agenda.

In doing so, he fails to acknowledge the serious challenges many of our institutions are facing, or that the Government’s own actions have exacerbated these problems.

Instead, much of the speech was a light policy touch – he pushed for research to move away from excellence to commercialisation, talked about international education going online and pivoting away from China and India, chided universities over not as yet having domestic students back in lecture theatres, and pushed universities again to adopt the Government’s guidelines on academic freedom (which is blurred with free speech).

What the Minister didn’t talk about were the major problems faced by the sector or how the Government was planning to help with the recovery of our fourth largest export industry. He ignored the loss of billions of dollars in university revenue.

In my experience of teaching, international students add an incredible richness and diversity to our classrooms and campuses, and the sooner they can be safely brought back the better. But Minister Tudge made no mention either of a roadmap to reopen our international borders so international students can experience learning in the country – which is what surveys tell us they overwhelmingly prefer (and what our competitor countries are already taking advantage of).

Not surprisingly, he omitted from the speech the Government’s continued erosion of public funding, with the last Federal Budget axing another 9.3% in Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding over forward estimates. Most disappointingly, however, was the failure to mention,

even once, the thousands of jobs that have been lost in our universities. These are the people who were our dedicated teachers and leading researchers, who provided our vital student support services in our libraries, computer and science labs, and who assisted students in academic and welfare areas.

Earlier this year, Universities Australia – the hosts for the conference at which the Minister spoke – released the bombshell that some 17,300 university jobs had been lost. We know that this number has grown significantly since then, with more redundancy rounds happening and university budgets deteriorating even further this year.

While the Minister spoke about the need for universities to provide the best learning experience for students and questioned why face to face teaching had not returned, he also missed the fact that, alongside the jobs losses, nearly 1,800 courses and over 150 degree programs have been removed from universities, significantly reducing student choice and potentially affecting the quality of education that students receive.

He also didn’t discuss the impact of the Government’s Job Ready Graduates package last year, which saw humanities, arts, business and law students slugged with much higher HECs fees, or that universities would be required to teach more students with less funding per student on average (another factor leading to the closure of subjects and courses).

The Minister did discuss research, but only in the context that universities were failing to convert research to commercial outcomes. Despite our universities being world leaders in many vital research fields, it would now appear that they are also expected to fill the gap in research development that would normally be undertaken by business.

Even more concerning, however, is that the focus on commercialisation ignores the value of investing in basic, pure research. There are many examples of where such research has later led to important, world changing innovations – a pertinent example are the mRNA vaccines, now so vital in the fight against COVID, which stemmed from fundamental research into the structure of lipids.

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

The Government’s view that only applied research is worth investment is not just short sighted; it fundamentally misunderstands the pedagogy of basic research and how it can lead to innovation.

Finally, though, there was one aspect of the Minister’s speech that, while brief, should be noted because it points to a significant rethinking of Australia’s higher education framework.

The Minister states 'We also need to start a conversation about how we can support greater differentiation and specialisation in the university sector. We have 39 comprehensive universities, which may not be an optimal model for the quality of teaching or research in this country.'

This would appear to allude to the creation of different classes of higher education providers in a US style, with some top tier institutions becoming 'Ivy League' universities, providing world class research and teaching, and others fitting in as lower level 'teaching and community colleges'.

It also opens the door to more for-profit private providers being able to use the title of ‘university’ and receive public funding (a path we are already set upon by this Government). The obvious question is, if this Government is indeed serious about creating a tiered higher education sector in Australia, does this reopen the door to a deregulated, US style tuition fee system, with $100,000 degrees back on the cards?

With the Government reducing its proportion of public funding, international education unlikely to return to pre-COVID levels and domestic students already paying some of the highest tuition fees in the OECD, this is definitely a question worth asking in the lead up to a Federal election. ◆ Dr Alison Barnes, NTEU National President Image: Engin Akyurt

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◆ FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Image: Name

The future of enterprise bargaining

Dr Alison Barnes, NTEU k abarnes@nteu.org.au

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D @alisonbarnes25

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ◆

NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes spoke at the Industrial Relations Society of NSW Conference on 15 May 2021. Alison was part of a panel speaking on the Future of Enterprise Bargaining. This is her speech.

other conditions that limit the scope of the action), removes our most important leverage over the employer.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak to the Conference today.

I hope to be able to provide a few insights about some of the problems that the NTEU sees with the current enterprise bargaining system, and outline some improvements we think must be made.

Our existing system To begin with, I would like to talk about the current bargaining framework and identify some of the key economic outcomes that indicate why the existing framework needs reform.

My fellow panellist from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry might not agree, but in our view the current bargaining system is heavily skewed in favour of employers, particularly when it comes to how industrial disputation is resolved.

These limitations, combined with the capacity of employers to indefinitely lock out their employees during a bargaining dispute, and no access to independent arbitration to settle disputes, has seen the number of industrial disputes in Australia in 2019/20 fall to their lowest levels ever.

This is not the sign of a healthy system, this is a sign of a one-sided system.

You might argue that the COVID pandemic had a bit to do with this also, and I would agree with you. However, the figures for 2019/20 and the previous year before the pandemic continued the long-term trend of very low levels of disputation.

But this is unlikely in the short term, given that it has been the public sector rather than the private sector that has driven what little wages growth there has been over the last few years, and now the Federal Government has tied public sector wage increases to private sector wages growth.

At the same time, several state governments have implemented at least temporary wage freezes. This lacklustre wage growth has led to a decline in wages as a share of GDP. Without wages growth there is a hard limit on how fair our society can be.

It’s a common mischaracterisation that all university employees are highly paid and that low wage growth does not affect them. My Union represents all university staff with the lowest paid in our sector receiving only $22 per hour.

This lacklustre wage growth Wage growth is vital for these workers. has led to a decline in wages as

The current limitations on the capacity of workers to take industrial action effectively removes the only real mechanism that workers have to pressure an employer to agree to better outcomes – that is, to withdraw their labour, without their job being threatened or the spectre of massive fines hanging over them This extremely limited right to withdraw labour is something that the United Nations and International Labour Organisation have reprimanded Australia for many times.

In our sector the legal limitations on the types of actions we can take has made effective industrial action extremely difficult – for example decisions by the Fair Work Commission that the withholding of student exam marks is not a permissible form of action (even as we have progressively limited it to make sure it does not prevent students graduating, that results will be released if there is hardship and

a share of GDP. Without wages growth there is a hard limit on how fair our society can be.

Another indication of how the current bargaining system is not helping workers is the stagnant wages growth across the economy.

I’m sure you all know that the Wage Price Index grew by a meagre 1.4% in the year to September 2020, following low increases of 2.2% and 2.3% in the previous two years. In Australian universities wage rises in the same period have also been just 1.4% (and this was despite the last round of our collective agreements having back-ended pay rises).

Workers and their unions have extremely limited capacity under the current system to take action to support claims for larger wage increases.

This has reached the point where even the Reserve Bank Governor, Philip Lowe, has called for wage rises of between 3 and 4% as the key for maintaining consumer spending, getting inflation back towards its 2–3% annual target, and getting the economy generally back on track.

Bargaining in higher education The prospects in our sector are grim. The devastating effects of COVID and the closing of borders which has prevented international students arriving to commence their studies, or to return to complete them, is flowing through to job losses. The failure of the Federal Government to offer any assistance while the sector is burning is compounding the difficulties our members face in maintaining their standard of living. This will be a key issue for us in bargaining.

The inequity of vice-chancellors pulling in million-dollar salaries and private colleges making expanding profits while our members are increasingly underpaid and insecurely employed, cannot be allowed to continue.

Another consequence of this ongoing imbalance has been the explosion of insecure work throughout the economy, and in particular, the growth of the so-called ‘gig’ economy.

This is essentially about shifting some or all of the risk of doing business to individual employees, either as casual continued over page...

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◆ FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The future of enterprise workers with no rights to sick leave and other benefits, no job security and little bargaining power;

core group of teaching staff as casuals, but this is not casual work, it is ongoing work that is performed in perpetuity.

OR as ‘independent contractors’, where workers have no choice but to obtain an ABN and have little or no access to leave entitlements and other benefits, even if their employment relationship mirrors the traits you would expect to see in a typical employer-employee relationship.

Our members have fought hard for job security, but university managers want a workforce that is dependable but disposable, and with previous governments actively removing the limitations to precarious employment that our members won, the deck is stacked in favour of this exploitative system. The result is that now two thirds of all university staff are precariously employed, including at least 95,000 who are on so called casual contracts.

The bill also proposed a process for casual employees to apply for more secure employment, which the Government and sections of the media claimed was an improved ‘right’ to conversion.

But the fine print includes a let-out clause for employers, who only have to deem that it’s 'reasonable' to refuse an application, meaning in practice, there is no real improvement after all. In my sector, given the specific nature of the casual contracts used by managements for academic employment, it is expected that these changes will be of no benefit, and it is possible that the changes will result in less secure employment overall by leaving our sector without a workable conversion mechanism at the national level and entrenching the casualisation of work.

What is not generally known about higher education is that there is a rapidly growing segment of degrees and higher degrees being delivered by for-profit providers who are consistently being This state of affairs is not acceptable aided by the Federal Government when and we will be aggressively pursuing universities are not (for example they had significant increases in job security for access to JobKeeper while the Governour members in the current round of ment changed the legislation multiple enterprise bargaining with universities, times to prevent universities accessing regardless of the uneven playing field we the payments that would have kept some face.

But if there is any possible angle we can of our members employed). In the pursue under this legislation we private provider sector we are seewill. Generally, the Bill included This lacklustre wage growth ing increasing use of sham contractchanges that were consistent with ing and widespread wage-theft. the employers’ proposals. This was has led to a decline in wages as neatly summed up by Professors a share of GDP. Without wages Our work laws have made it David Peetz and Mark Bray, in the increasingly difficult to protect growth there is a hard limit on Journal of Industrial Relations who permanent work. The result is a argued that: how fair our society can be. growing class of workers without jobs they can count on across the 'The main complexity in the economy. This means many now enterprise bargaining system is face severely reduced capacity to get the barriers put to unions seeking Omnibus legislation home loans, to plan a family or achieve agreements. The bill addresses none of This brings us to the Morrison Governeconomic security in their lifetimes. these, instead aiming to make non-unment’s omnibus legislation. ion agreements easier to make' (Peetz, In my own sector, higher education, 2020) After months of discussion the Governour members have fought and still are ment presented a draft bill that accordfighting against the concerted drive by We all know how this ended – when the ing to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus, university managements to replace ongoGovernment couldn’t get enough of the proposed '…changes which are dangerous ing positions with precarious ones.

Senate crossbenchers to support the enand extreme. These proposals were never tire Bill, it withdrew all but the provisions We now have a situation where it is likely raised during months of discussion with relating to casual employment, which that the majority of teaching performed employers and the Government.' were subsequently passed. in our universities is performed by The key issues the trade union movement highly qualified academic staff who are Unfortunately, the withdrawn provisions objected to included allowing employemployed on a piece rate basis – a fixed also included the criminalisation of wage ers to make agreements that would cut dollar amount per class or assessment, theft, the only item that all the parties workers’ wages and conditions, by allowperformed on a fixed schedule set in agreed with. This had ramifications for ing the Fair Work Commission to approve advance, often repeated year after year. my own sector where our survey data agreements that didn’t meet the Better showed that wage theft was rampant.

It is normal for academics in these Off Overall Test (BOOT). arrangements to subsist on only a few Notwithstanding the Government’s withThis proposal was quickly withdrawn hundred dollars per week despite being drawal, the NTEU like other unions will after a community backlash, but it is easy constantly on-call and busy with preparacontinue to vigorously pursue underpayto conceive of the Government pushing tion, staff meetings and student emails, ment claims in workplaces as well as the ahead with these changes under different most of which goes unpaid and unaccourts. political circumstances. knowledged. The universities refer to this

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FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ◆

bargaining Bargaining reforms I would now like to focus on some key reforms.

The first is the issue I touched on briefly at the beginning of this speech, the capacity of workers to take effective industrial action that genuinely puts pressure on an employer.

Since the 1980s there has been a continuous erosion of unions’ capacity to take industrial action.

Before then, despite some limitations, unions were in practice not prevented from taking industrial action. In most industries it was used sparingly, but was always in the background as a possibility when raising a grievance or making a claim.

That process of gradually removing the de facto right to take industrial action has led to the current very limited and circumscribed rights to take action in pursuit of an Enterprise Agreement, and ONLY in pursuit of an Agreement.

It doesn’t give us the right to use industrial action to resolve an acute workplace dispute. We would support amendments to the Fair Work Act to restore the right to take industrial action in accordance with ILO conventions to which Australia is a party.

The next issue is the legal incapacity of unions to limit the benefit they create to their members, or ensure that non-members contribute.

Unions in Australia by law cannot secure benefits only for their members to the exclusion of workers who are not members.

For an employer to agree to this could be adverse action.

Neither can unions ensure that workers who are not members contribute to the Union on the basis that if all benefit, all should contribute.

In Canada and even in the USA, a country not known for its progressive labour laws, this problem is dealt with by bargaining fees or collective membership.

The current practice in Australia is clearly discriminatory.

The ‘business model’ under which unions operate is the equivalent of local councils collecting household garbage where paying council rates is voluntary, but the council cannot discriminate against those who don’t pay rates.

The ‘business model’ under which unions operate is the equivalent of local councils collecting household garbage where paying council rates is voluntary, but the council cannot discriminate against those who don’t pay rates.

Such a model would quickly send most councils broke, yet it is exactly the model which the union movement is forced to accept. In our sector this free-rider problem is a significant barrier to improving (or even just protecting) worker rights and conditions – as it is intended to be.

We would support the legal right of unions to collect fees from all those who are directly benefiting from their activities.

The final issue is the legal incapacity of unions to bargain at the industry level.

A system of enterprise-only bargaining, enforced by law, is not only a breach of ILO Convention 87, it effectively excludes about 40% of the workforce – those in small firms – from the main reason for unions to exist: the capacity, size and strength to bargain collectively.

agreements and employers in the hundreds, meaning our members are subject to award minima despite the high level work that they do.

Moreover, the capacity to bargain at an industry level would provide opportunities to deal with issues that are more appropriately addressed at that level. The constant reduction in government support for universities leads to the adoption of some common responses to financial need. I could see scope for addressing issues like insecure work, academic freedom and Indigenous employment at a sector-wide level, to name a few.

So, in finishing, for those who say that Australian unions have too much power and that future IR ‘reforms’ should address this, I leave you with these thoughts.

There are countries where worker unions are illegal, and others where activists are killed. However, there is no other comparable country in the world where unions have: • No general right to take industrial action, and • No right to capture the benefits of their collective bargaining for members or make non-members contribute, and • No right to bargain at the industry level. ◆ Dr Alison Barnes is NTEU National President

This is a particularly acute problem for us with the private provider sector where there are only one or two enterprise

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◆ FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Image:Unblast Name

Making good universities For several decades there has been argument about the way universities are run and where university systems are heading. Critics have pointed to growing commercialism, concentration of power, outrageous salaries for top managers, casualisation and outsourcing of the workforce.

Professor Emerita Raewyn Connell, University of Sydney D @raewynconnell

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On 11 June, Raewyn Connell joined NTEU's Friday Sessions program to talk about 'the good university', discussing how universities work, what has happened to them under the corporate regime, and what alternatives there have been in the past and could be in the future.

Watch the event video at nteu.info/gooduniversity

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FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION ◆

The character of university work seems to have changed, with coercion, surveillance, distrust, self-promotion and image-making becoming more and more familiar.

For me, these issues came to a head during an Enterprise Agreement struggle at the University of Sydney. Some quiet times on the picket line gave me a chance to think about our situation. I concluded we were too much on the back foot, reacting to the latest policy disaster from Canberra or the latest aggression from local bosses. It was important to put forward positive ideas about the kind of university our society really needs.

One way to start is to look at how universities actually work. I have a conventional view of what universities are for: advancing knowledge through research, and teaching our students (including professional courses) at advanced levels.

Doing these things well allows a university system to serve the culture as a repository of knowledge and a forum for ideas.

When we look closely at these tasks, it's notable that they all require co-operation across a complex workforce. About half of university staff are academics, half are in other occupations, but that doesn't mean that only half are involved in research, education or outreach.

The whole workforce is involved. In the daily round of university work there is a constant interweaving of different forms of labour. For universities to work well, they need a workforce with high levels of skill – that's familiar – but also with commitment to the shared tasks, and capacity to cooperate with a variety of other workers.

To put this in a nutshell: universities work from below, not top-down. The creativity, commitment and knowledge of a varied workforce are the bases for everything that universities do.

That's the reason corporate-style managerialism is such a problem. Centralising decision-making and information, constantly imposing systems and controls from above, casualising and outsourcing staff, are moves that systematically disempower the workforce whose intelligence and creativity a university relies on.

At the same time, the commercialisation, image-making, and pervasive management-speak corrupt – I don't think that's too strong a word – the university's organisational culture. Specifically, they undermine the commitment to public interest and the search for truth that define a university's cultural role.

All that was visible before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. In Australia we've mainly discussed the pandemic's impact by lamenting the loss of fees from overseas students. That's important enough, in showing one weakness produced by commercialisation. But there's more.

Lockdowns, campus closures and working-from-home break up the everyday contact on which a lot of the informal cooperation and problem-solving in universities relied. They don't stop dead, but are harder to do online.

And while university staff worked desperately to make research, teaching and outreach happen in the tough conditions of the pandemic, our national government pursued its agenda of dumbing the country down, springing the 'Job Ready Graduates' policy on us. Apart from its misreading of the future of jobs and careers, this is based on a truly terrible model of professional education, as vocational training that doesn't need a broad and lively intellectual culture around it.

In these circumstances, what do university workers need, and need to do? I'm retired now, and I'm conscious that I'm not in the battle line; but here are three thoughts.

First, there's a need to rebuild morale and purpose among a university workforce battered by three decades of corporatisation. In this rebuilding, we can get help from history. There's a much richer history of democratic universities and colleges than we usually realise. There have been many practical experiments in organisation, pedagogy, curriculum, and outreach; universities have been, variously, student-run, multicultural, Indigenous, working-class, feminist, postcolonial, and more. Some of that history has happened in Australia. The managerial university is not Fate; it's not even Best Practice.

Second, there's a need to develop the power to act. Good universities won't fall from the skies; they have to be built, in what's undoubtedly a tough environment.

For the university workforce to develop power to act, one of the absolute requirements is to build union membership.

That's a matter, above all, of grass-roots organising. This is not an alternative to working in university committees or councils, or in outside policy forums, or in mass actions. Rather, it's a major condition for success in those settings.

Third, it's important to work with allies.

Toxic things that have been happening in universities have been happening in other sectors too, so there's common ground with other groups of workers. Our

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students, and the families who support them, have a strong interest in a higher education system where the staff are not overloaded, stressed or fearful, and where students themselves don't have to work long hours just to pay fees. In the long run, just about the whole society is benefited by a well-funded and vigorous public university system.

But not quite all. The exceptions happen to include mining magnates, media owners, and the right wing of the current Coalition. Building an Australia-wide coalition in support of good universities won't be plain sailing. But it surely needs to be done.

Part of the work is organising: building memberships and alliances, as I've suggested. Another part is conceptual: we need accounts of what better universities would be like.

In The Good University I suggest five criteria. A good university is democratic – working as an industrial democracy and serving democratic purposes in society.

It is engaged, not just with jobs but with a whole range of social and planetary needs. It is truthful, strenuous in support of knowledge and understanding, hard as they may be. It is creative, exploring new fields of knowledge and new pedagogies.

And it is sustainable, making careful use of resources (no crystal palaces, please!), taking care for its current workers and for the next generation too.

Is that utopian? Perhaps it is, as a whole.

But I've seen every part of that agenda working somewhere in actual university practice, and I think many of us have. ◆ Raewyn Connell is a widely-cited researcher in sociology, education and gender studies, and an NTEU Life Member. Her work has been translated into 22 languages, from Arabic to Vietnamese (but not yet Latin). Raewyn has been active in the labour movement, and in local and international work for gender equality and peace.

Raewyn Connell's most recent book is 'The Good University' (2019), Monash University Publishing.

NTEU members can receive a 25% discount using the code GOODUNI25 (valid until 31 July).

To purchase, go to publishing.monash.edu/product/ the-good-university.

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◆ FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION University of Calgary

Universities & the SDGs 'Universities have a unique and critical role in helping the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through their research, teaching, operations and community leadership', declared the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).1 The SDGs were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as ‘a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.’2 Established in 2012, to mobilise scientific and technical expertise, the SDSN (Sustainable Development Solutions Network) now concentrates upon implementing SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. It is one network of several involved in and outside the UN and agencies with deep academic, civil society and corporate partnerships.

The SDSN Australia, NZ and Pacific region, led by Monash University, has produced two guides for universities, the first addressing implementation across the university, and the second on educating for the SDGs (eSDGs).3 This is not news to the many readers of this journal, who work on environmental sustainability, planetary health and implementing the SDGs within their university and beyond.

Jeannie Rea, Immediate Past President k jrea@vu.edu.au

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Many, many Australian and Australian-based scientists, inventors, technologists, academics, researchers, managers, policy and field workers are involved in this work. Many not only offer research based solutions and ideas, but are also leaders, advocates and activists in their field.

Many are well published, consistently cited and invited to advise, and contribute to decision-making forums in research institutions, UN agencies and the corporate world, as well as communicating their work on the international stage performing the role of public intellectuals.

Key note speakers at a recent NTEU national webinar, Lauren Rickards (RMIT) and Tamson Pietsch (UTS) authored an influential article in The Conversation arguing that climate action was the most important mission for universities.4 So it was somewhat surprising that when our universities' senior managements decided to enter the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, which measure universities' contribution to the SDGs, some were not aware of the breadth and depth their staff’s contributions to fulfilling the ‘unique and critical role of universities in helping the world achieve the SDGs’.

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However, university staff did rally around and made superb submissions honing in upon their achievements in SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals and highlighting their performances in at least three other categories.

While the Impact Rankings only started in 2019, with only 1239 institutions across 98 countries submitting on their 2019 performance for the 2021 rankings, Australian universities still came up very well. In 2021, Australian universities ranked 2,3,4 and equal 6 in the top 10.

This may also explain to those readers who have wondered about the SDG icons appearing on university websites. Not all though have adopted the approach of the University of Sydney (ranked 2nd in the world), which provides updates explaining what is being done to promote each goal, along with identifying the units of study and research supporting that goal.

La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor and new Universities Australia Chair, John Dewar commented, 'Coming first in Australia and second in the world for gender equality reflects our proven track record and ongoing commitment to recruiting women to senior leadership roles, and to making higher education more accessible to women'. La Trobe ranked world first for impact on SDG15 Life on Land, second on SDG5 Gender Equality and on SDG8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.5 Cynics could view this as just another rankings race, but that would be a disservice to the genuine commitments from many in universities who have seriously taken on addressing environmental sustainability and broader issues addressing the health of people, of place and of the planet. And universities have done this well before the SDGs and before global warming was re-badged the more neutral sounding ‘climate change’.

Educating for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiatives have informed education and training from early childhood to universities and informal education and training for decades. The influential and effective Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) network preceded the SDGs.6 However, jumping into branding with SDG icons, is not without controversy and critique. In just focusing upon the Impact Rankings, some may ask, why do Australian universities score so well. It is a ranking so it is in comparison to others.

We may particularly ask how do Australian universities come up smiling on

Decent Work or Reducing Inequalities (SDG10)? Is the scourge of casualisation, of wage theft, of limited diversity amongst staff, or promotion of women, on the participation of First Nations peoples, and narrowing academic freedom even worse elsewhere? The answer is yes, so there is not a lot to cheer about.

But there is also the bias in what is measured and for whose benefit. As with all UN initiatives, the western developed world wielded their muscle over the two years of negotiating the 17 goals and the 169 targets and the indicators. Some of the indicators measuring achievement of the targets reflect mainstream lives in OECD countries, whilst others continue to highlight as deficits the situation of poor and disadvantaged peoples, communities and countries.

Economic growth, the focus of SDG8, is increasingly characterised as a key driver of climate change and other socio-ecological degradations identified in SDG13.

Responsible consumption (SDG12) seems antithetical within the popular talk of circular economies.

First Nations peoples and communities have been trenchantly critical of the SDGs from the initial process to the ongoing ignorance and avoidance of addressing Indigenous peoples experiences and perspectives. They are critical of levels of governments’ honesty and commitment but also are determined to continually engage and contest and resist – and present and pursue alternatives.

Despite the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) providing a critique of coloniality and proposing ways forward, the SDGs were developed without formal collaboration with Indigenous peoples. The SDG indicators make only 4 references, and these characterise Indigenous peoples as of special interest as ‘vulnerable’, yet there is no recognition of living sustainably, of sovereignty over land, nor the right to self-determination.

Nor the right to maintain and strengthen distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions.

For Australia, reporting should always be embarrassing as the stark difference between generally comparably high achievement on many measures fail miserably and shamefully on the high prevalence of diseases of poverty and rates of incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including children. And of course, there is Australia’s notorious record on climate action and biodiversity.

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The recently released Sustainable Development Report 2021 does show areas of major challenges for Australia in SDG10 Reducing Inequalities, in SDG15 Life on Land, SDG13 Climate Action, SDG12 Responsible Consumption, SDG16 Peace and Justice. Even on Gender Equality significant challenges for Australia are in addressing the Gender Pay Gap, the persistent unequal load of unpaid work, and proportion of women in parliament.7 If our universities are to take an honest approach to helping the world achieve the SDGs we have to be prepared to address where we are culpable in continuing to create and sustain inequity, injustice and environmental destruction.

Final thoughts SDG4 Quality Education measures the proportion of 25-34 year olds completing tertiary education and mainstream Australia is doing well. But the intersections with SDG8 Decent Work and the job security futures of these graduates cannot be ignored. That universities have casualised a profession (academics) and engage in wage theft while also seeking to silence staff and student dissent about their work and study conditions should be counted in. This is not modelling decent work.

Picking winners on SDGs targets to report upon may be the way to rank highly, but can also be seen as self-serving. And universities have a big one to address in SDG4 Quality Education. Target 4.7 calls for ‘all learners to acquire the knowledge and skills (and mindsets) to promote sustainable development’. How are we progressing and measuring this within our universities? ◆ Jeannie Rea is an Associate Professor at Victoria University working on planetary health, and was NTEU National President 2010-18.

References 1. www.unsdsn-ne.org/our-actions/sdgs-in-universities 2. sdgs.un.org/2030agenda 3. ap-unsdsn.org/regional-initiatives/universities-sdgs 4. theconversation.com/climate-change-is-the-mostimportant-mission-for-universities-of-the-21stcentury-139214 5. createdigital.org.au/australian-universities-top-the-charts-for-social-impact 6. www.acts.asn.au 7. dashboards.sdgindex.org

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◆ ACADEMIC FREEDOM Gerd Schröder-Turk in the classroom. Duncan Farrow

Still standing with Gerd In 2019, Gerd Schröder-Turk appeared on the ABC’s Four Corners, standing up for international student welfare and academic standards. He became a household name when he fought back Murdoch University’s outrageous legal claim for million-dollar compensation. President Alison Barnes catches up with Gerd 12 months on.

Gerd, your appearance on Four Corners caused quite the stir. What motivated you to speak out?

The practices at Murdoch were, in my view, damaging to students, staff and academic standards. I had ethical concerns so I felt compelled to speak out.

Did you see positive change after speaking out?

Murdoch has improved its international admissions practices. The Government is also focusing on English language preparedness. These are positive changes!

Did the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency have any involvement with those changes?

TEQSA found that Murdoch had breached its own policies.

But, breaches of law or policy are only the tip of an iceberg of bad damaging professional practice. We need to tackle the iceberg, not just its tip!

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The pervasive comparisons to the ‘sector norm’ create a downhill spiral. We should measure our behaviour against agreed principles, rather than justify poor practice by the poor practice of others.

As a Council member, do you think that Councils have a role in ensuring ethical decision making?

Absolutely, it is the Council’s core responsibility. The question is, how? A good starting point is the golden rule: Treat others as you wish others to treat you.

For Council decisions, that translates to 'Would you feel comfortable with your decision if your own daughter or son was affected by it?'

It shouldn’t take children to act ethically...

Unfortunately, it seems that Council members across the sector often have little involvement with or understanding of the day-to-day life of the university, its students or staff.

ACADEMIC FREEDOM ◆

That separation means that it is too easy for students and staff to become mere numbers. The question helps to drum home the realisation that Council decisions affect people’s lives.

Are Councils well set up to make these kinds of decisions?

No, too few Council members have any tertiary sector experience and academics appear to be marginalised. A mining company or a hospital would never have a board without solid industry-specific experience. A university shouldn’t either, but many do1,2. In WA it is exacerbated by legislation3.

my feeling was backed up by the general public.

this seems to be how many university executives like it.

But Murdoch’s cross-claim for compensation was more than I could take. The matter had escalated to an existential threat which felt intimidating. The worst was the despair that someone was willing to take the decision to sue me in a way that they knew they would ruin my life.

A particular showstopper for academic freedom are casual and short-term contracts where those who may not like what you have to say can simply not renew your contract, while thanking you profusely for your valuable contribution.

I cannot see any higher principle that justifies the increasing use of insecure short-term contract arrangements.

A big problem is the removal of academic freedom when academics 'move up' into senior roles and give up their substantive academic roles for executive contracts.

Who has not seen a newly-minted Associate Dean enthusiastically sing the praises for initiatives that not long before they would have ferociously opposed?

If not Councils, who do you think can hold universities to account?

Primary schools would never get away with the practices of universities. Why? Because there’s a passionate big informed group who care deeply and who keep an eye on the schools: the parents!

The same does not happen for universities. Parents have stepped back, students lack a reference point of what it should be like, and politicians are blinded by the rhetoric of the Vice Chancellors’ powerful lobbying.

How important was it to have your colleagues stand with you?

How do you think we can change this?

In 2018, at an excellent NTEU governance workshop, Jamie Doughney identified the attributes needed to challenge university processes as 'Truth, Guts, Resilience'.

We need to change the mindset: Public university equals public asset. The Vice-Chancellors are the custodians of that precious public asset, and the Councils the boards that oversee them on behalf of the public.

My resilience was based on the unwavering friendship of a few close colleagues.

Every kind message, from strangers and colleagues, gave that resilience a further boost. These were not just helpful, they were essential.

A reality soap like Utopia set in universities to bring the matter into the spotlight. Then a hip-pocket campaign to demand greater public accountability: Many students support the universities through HECS-HELP payments that are greater than any first-home-owner grant they will ever get!

And how are you doing now?

Your court case must have been stressful. What was the worst part of this for you?

The secrecy and half-truths. For four months even my friends did not know that I was in court defending my elected office.

Murdoch resisted me speaking publicly, and worse, even privately about my case in Court, so I was very limited in what I could say and who I could speak to. That was very disappointing.

How did you cope with the court case in the end?

I felt buoyed by a feeling of pride of doing the right thing. And the outpouring of public support was so important to know

Do you think universities use contractual arrangements to restrict academic freedom?

I remain deeply disillusioned about the state of the university sector. I used to be a happy enthusiastic academic. I’ve become more withdrawn from my research community, less productive, less creative, ... and less happy. It is sad how stress at work negatively affects the things you love. I am aware that that’s how things unravel, and am trying to keep it together.

Your case centred around academic freedom and the right of staff to speak out about their employer.

How important is academic freedom for staff and is it under threat?

Academic freedom is not a perk for academic staff, but is a fundamental concept 'central to the very idea of a university'4 that underpins academia’s great value to our society5,6, 7.

A big threat is that academics lose, or perceive to lose, the agency to act or speak with independence and without fear and favour. An even bigger problem is that

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Of course, short-term contracts make anyone, casual and executive alike, think twice about expressing dissent.

Also antithetic to academic freedom are non-disparagement clauses that suppress criticism, even if proven truthful8. They should have no role in universities!

And finally, Gerd, are you hopeful?

It’s a 'There’s no planet B' scenario. We only have one university system, so we better fight for it! That’s best done collectively. ◆ Gerd Schröder-Turk is an Associate Professor at Murdoch University, WA, and an Honorary Associate Professor at the Australian National University, ACT. Alison Barnes is NTEU National President.

Image: Gerd with two of his children at an NTEU celebration 1. A . Lucas, 'The authoritarian academy: corporate governance of Australia’s universities exploits staff and students and degrades academic standards', on www.johnmenadue.com (18 June 2021).

2. D. Peetz, 'Elect the Vice-Chancellor!', Inside Story, 15 Oct 2020.

3. G.E. Schröder-Turk, 'A self-selection mechanism for appointed external members of WA University Councils', Australian Universities' Review, vol. 63, no.

1 (2021).

4. C. Evans & A. Stone, Open Minds, La Trobe University Press (2021).

5. Association of Australian University Professors, Academic Freedom and University Management, 30 April 2021.

6. K. Lyons, 'Universities' relevance hinges on academic freedom', The Conversation, 3 June 2021.

7. K. Lyons, 'Academic Freedom's Precarious Future', Australian Universities' Review, vol. 63, no. 1 (2021).

8. J. Ross, 'Gag clauses "becoming the norm" in Australian redundancies', THE, 28 June 2021.

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◆ ACADEMIC FREEDOM University of Toronto censured. CAUT/Facebook

Canadian union imposes rare censure of university The case of Dr. Valentina Azarova has gained international attention since the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law abruptly ended negotiations last year to hire the Germany-based scholar as the Director of the school’s renowned International Human Rights Program (IHRP). This followed immediately after concerns were raised by Justice David Spiro – a sitting judge on the Tax Court of Canada, an alumnus, and a major donor to the University of Toronto Faculty of Law – over Dr. Azarova’s academic work on human rights in Israel and Palestine.

David Robinson, CAUT D @CAUT_ACPPU

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ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

ACADEMIC FREEDOM ◆

After a lengthy review of the case by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), delegates to the CAUT Council voted on April 22 to impose a rare censure of the University.

'When reviewing all the evidence, CAUT Council concluded that the decision to cancel Dr. Valentina Azarova’s hiring was politically motivated, and as such constitutes a serious breach of widely recognised principles of academic freedom,' says CAUT Executive Director David Robinson.

What does it mean to impose a censure?

Censure is a rarely invoked sanction in which academic staff in Canada and internationally are asked to not accept appointments, speaking engagements or distinctions or honours at the University of Toronto, until satisfactory changes are made. It also means that CAUT will widely publicise the dispute in the media and bring the censure to the attention of associations of academic staff in other countries, requesting that they publish an account of the dispute in their journals and asking their members to respect the censure.

The University’s reaction Administrators have denied that Dr. Azarova’s hiring was terminated after undue influence from the donor. Last fall, the University commissioned its own external review which was undertaken by a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, Thomas Cromwell, whose mandate did not include determining credibility or plausibility. Cromwell’s report on the affair ultimately concluded that 'external influence' had not played a role in the decision to not hire Azarova.

However, the 77-page report also recommends that the University improve its policies and procedures around confidentiality, and engage in a reconciliation process to heal the 'deep wounds' the controversy has left in its wake.

After receiving complaints, the Canadian Judicial Council also conducted an investigation into the actions of the donor, Justice Spiro, and found that it was a 'serious error' for the judge to raise concerns about Dr. Azarova’s hiring in the way he did, but that his removal from office was not warranted.

CAUT Council, in imposing censure after a close examination of the facts of the case, found it implausible to conclude that the donor’s expression of concern did not trigger the subsequent actions resulting

in the sudden termination of the hiring process.

Growing global momentum behind the censure A long and growing list of scholars, public intellectuals and artists have withdrawn from speaking engagements, lectures and other events at the University since censure was imposed, including Canada’s former Governor-General Michaëlle Jean.

Academics across Canada, the United States and around the world are showing solidarity by publicly posting letters they have written to University of Toronto President Meric Gertler.

Other well-known public figures such as Arundhati Roy, Wole Soyinka, David Suzuki, Angela Davis, Naomi Klein, Setsuko Thurlow, Noam Chomsky and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson have signed a pledge to respect the censure.

Dr. Valentina Azarova

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also announced support by pausing their partnerships with the University.

International media interest includes a May 8 article in the New Yorker Magazine which notes that the scandal 'resides at the precise intersection of scholarly freedom, the place of the university in broader political conversations, and the influence that financial donors wield over academic institutions.'

The University’s most recent action University Administrators very recently announced they will resume a search for a Director of the IHRP, which CAUT cautiously welcomes.

'The announcement that the search for a Director of the Program will resume, and that Dr. Azarova is still the preferred candidate is welcome if it is in good faith. We still have concerns that actions taken to date are inadequate to address the concerns that gave rise to CAUTs’ censure,' Says Robinson. 'A search process has already been conducted that, following a review of 160 applicants, unanimously selected Dr. Azarova. As we have already pointed out on numerous occasions, there are multiple routes the University could have pursued to satisfy immigration requirements to secure Dr. Azarova’s work permit. Re-offering the job to Dr. Azarova in good faith is necessary for resolving the matter.' ◆ David Robinson is Executive Director, Canadian Association of University Teachers

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

For more information and background: Report on the Implications of Academic Freedom in the case of Dr. Valentina Azarova at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto (Oct 2020) www.caut.ca/sites/default/files/ caut-report-on-academic-freedomat-the-faculty-of-law-university-oftoronto_2020-10_0.pdf Read CAUT’s detailed procedures relating to censure: www.caut.ca/about-us/caut-policy/ lists/administrative-procedures-andguidelines/procedures-relating-tocensure Examples of support: www.caut.ca/content/uoft-supportcensure For a list of documents and media coverage, visit this resource page: ultravires.ca/2020/09/ihrp-directorhiring-controversy-resource-page/

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Get protected The UTAS Staff Agreement expired in July.

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The UTAS Staff Agreement expired in July.

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

CLIMATE ACTION ◆ NTEU members at the SS4C in Melbourne, May 2021

We must fight back on climate change Recently, I was infuriated to read Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's declaration that our Government is committed to reaching net-zero emissions 'as soon as possible, preferably by 2050'.

Though you wouldn't believe it based on our Government's apathy towards the issue, the climate crisis is just that – a crisis. It's already manifesting here in Australia, through natural disasters like March's flooding in New South Wales and Queensland. And that's before we even begin to mention the devastating impacts it has on regions like the Pacific Islands, which are hit the hardest by climate change despite contributing to only 0.03% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Yet, while climate change threatens frontline communities and the futures of young people like me, our Government chooses vague, non-committal statements over meaningful action.

That being said, I wasn't incredibly surprised by their failure to truly address the severity of climate change. The Morrison Government has a history of prioritising profits over people. It's visible in their neglect of universities throughout the

COVID-19 pandemic, and it's visible in their copious handouts to the polluting fossil fuel industry. We know that Australians want better, as proven by more than 50,000 people who protested in support of climate action nationwide on May 21 this year.

When politicians like my Federal MP Treasurer Frydenberg – who are elected to represent their communities' interests in decision-making – won't listen to what the public needs, what do we do?

The answer is simple: we must fight back, and we must do it together.

Building a better future is possible, particularly in the wake of a global pandemic – which gives us the opportunity to invest in projects that will create the sustainable jobs we need. Clearly, the

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

Federal Government isn’t seeing this advantageous opportunity, as shown in the recent Federal Budget where they invested $8.3 billion into fossil fuels – when this funding could instead go towards universities and renewable energy. Our Government is adamant on taking Australia backwards, and it’s harming young people and university employees alike.

Our leaders can and must do better than empty promises and perpetual inaction – but demanding this requires cross-movement solidarity. Climate justice and workers' justice are intrinsically connected, and we know that we can’t switch to renewable energy without supporting workers in fossil fuel industries. That’s why a just transition and job creation for all fossil fuel communities are paramount to School Strike 4 Climate’s mission, so that nobody is left behind in our fight for a greener future.

We’ll be taking to the streets and mobilising again later this year as we call for stronger political action on climate change – we hope you’ll join us in the fight, because a rising tide lifts all boats. ◆ Sophie Chiew, School Strike 4 Climate organiser www.schoolstrike4climate.com

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◆ WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY NTEU University of Adelaide Branch delegates Jess, Ashleigh, Laura, Jacob, Angus and George. Dennis Kraaijenbrink

A bargaining agenda to make you feel better!

The importance of the WHS perspective in bargaining When we look at the claims that members are generating around the country there is a common thread running through them – they are tackling issues that impact on our health and well-being. We know that there are numerous psychosocial hazards to our health and safety within the university sector and it is apparent that members have had enough.

Gabe Gooding, NTEU k ggooding@nteu.org.au

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ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY ◆

Psychosocial hazards

Stability of employment

When asked, members consistently emphasise the key psychosocial hazards at work: sky rocketing workloads, work intensification, long working hours, and job insecurity. These form the core of the bargaining agenda, accompanied by other issues around fairness and equity which also impact on our mental health.

Then, there are those who have the apparent security of an on-going position.

We only need to look at the job losses in the past year to know that an ongoing position may give you a better payment when your employment is terminated, but it doesn’t give you job security.

Almost no-one who has retained a job has escaped the pandemic so far without increased workloads and work pressure.

And no-one can hide from the fact that these are hazards that have the potential to cause harm to employees, indeed the World Health Organisation designated Burnout as a recognised occupational disease prior to the pandemic.

There are of course many claims that we can make to regulate work pressures but the recent landmark win by the Police Union of a claim for the right to disconnect from their employment when not on duty shows us one path to headway we can make on these key issues during bargaining.

As we all know the pandemic has cut a swathe through the jobs of university workers so it is no surprise that Job Security is a key theme that consistently appears in surveys. It is also a recognised work related hazard.

For the casual workforce the pressures of not having stable employment are extreme and there are many claims being made around the country to improve the conditions that casual staff work under.

Similarly, those on fixed term contracts, especially those engaged in research projects where the funding is tenuous and the Government keeps shifting the ground also have an overwhelming sense of insecurity that can infect all aspects of their lives.

For each of these groups Branches are proposing changes that will increase stability of employment, and thus also reduce a serious work-related hazard to mental health.

For casual staff there are proposals for better conversion processes and better definitions to recognise that their work is actually ongoing in nature as well as sick leave and pandemic leave to eliminate the pressure to work when unwell.

For fixed term staff again there are claims for better conversion rights and for ongoing contingent funded employment.

For ongoing staff members one of the best things we could do is to reduce the constant churn of change. Poorly managed change management (including changes that are not adequately justified) are such a big hazard to our mental health that they warrant their own section in the Safe Work Australia list of hazards.

It is beyond unreasonable that staff are repetitively subjected to a serious workplace hazard because their management can’t stick to a plan for longer than 12 months.

All this is to say – don't forget when talking about bargaining to think about (and talk about) what these issues are potentially doing to your mental health and the mental health of those around you.

If ever there was a bargaining round when everyone should be actively supporting the claims it is this one – successful

claims can and will make a difference to your life both at work and beyond.

Changes to WHS laws Recently the combined State and Federal Governments agreed to changes to the model common WHS Laws (that cover all states except WA and Vic) that will for the first time adequately recognise the importance of workplace induced injury to mental health.

The decision to include Regulations around psychosocial hazards will finally put mental health and physical injury on the same footing and will make pursuit of employers who disregard the mental health of their employees that much easier.

It is always a challenge to get through changes to the WHS laws that will have an important impact on workers where there is not a clear majority of Labor Governments at the table, as evidenced by the same meeting rejecting uniform industrial manslaughter laws.

The next challenge? To ensure that the Regulations are tough enough to do the job! ◆ Gabe Gooding is NTEU National Assistant Secretary www.nteu.org.au/whs

Interested in WHS? I am always happy to talk about ways that we can use WHS to improve the working lives of members.

If you have a change management, or any other issue arising that could be addressed through WHS please don’t hesitate to email me at ggooding@nteu.org.au.

STANDING UP FOR SAFETY ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

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◆ DELEGATE PROFILE

Jennifer Allen

Library Client and Collections Officer, Western Sydney University I work in the Library at Western Sydney University (WSU). I’m a Library Client and Collections Officer (which is a new title from our recent restructure) but I get to keep doing what I used to do, helping students out when they come into the physical library space. I love talking to students and building a positive rapport with them – so many people are afraid of the library and I want to break that stereotype!

I started working casually in the library in 2013 and didn’t become permanent until 2015. As soon as I was permanent one of my co-workers whom I respected asked me to come along to an NTEU member meeting. I had so much admiration for her, she knew something about everything, and didn’t take crap from anyone, so I toddled alongside her to the meeting. I joined that day, not having the slightest clue how involved I would eventually become a couple of years later. At the end of 2016 she took an early retirement package and that was really when I started to venture out on my own into the union world.

With the early retirement scheme taking place at the end of 2016, and the death of our Campus Librarian, my workplace undertook a drastic change in staffing. New people, new supervisors, new roles created without any change management proposals put forward, this was the start of asking questions and not just accepting “because that’s the way we’ve always done things” (anyone who has worked in a library will attest to this being Library 101).

I became a Delegate and then joined the Branch Committee (BC).

There were so many rules created in-house that didn’t line up with our Enterprise Agreement, when I would mention them in our BC meetings they were met with disbelief. It was very encouraging being a Delegate and BC member as it gave me the confidence to address issues with library management and HR directly.

I love being able to enact change for library staff. The last few years our membership has grown in the library and staff are more comfortable to ring the Branch and ask questions – something that seldom would have happened a few years ago. I love seeing my workmates empowered and using their voice, it’s so important to speak up in order to fix issues.

The biggest challenge we are facing in 2021, is that our library has been slugged with one million dollars being removed from its budget, so our staffing numbers are much, much smaller now in the new restructure. The service points still need to be staffed and the work still comes in, so all of this is done with fewer people. Not only is burnout and stress related fatigue a big challenge facing library staff, but also everyone else at the University who has gone through a restructure and lost colleagues.

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At the moment, I’m dealing with issues around weekend overtime, part-time staff accessing penalty rates, staff accessing time in lieu, the forced transfer of staff from one campus to another – restructure issues. There’s always something!

How am I dealing with these issues? Well, I’ve learned that we need to have a good working relationship with management and HR to get things done. Even if we don’t agree with the other side, we all need to show respect and work with each other.

Sometimes we need to go through situations we wish we didn’t have to. There is so much I have learnt that has been beneficial to me becoming a better delegate.

A recent campaign I’ve been involved in, has been getting WSU members to attend a meeting to endorse our log of claims for our upcoming enterprise bargaining negotiations. We needed 20% of WSU members to attend this endorsement meeting to secure our log of claims.

In order to do this, we had to reach as many members as possible and have proper conversations with them about the process.

I was trained along with other delegates in using CallHub – so much better than reading a name and number off an Excel spreadsheet! This software really makes cold calling a lot easier.

It was great to work with the Branch to help build a strong union and secure key claims through member engagement. We met the 20% target and got the vote endorsed, so it was a great achievement to be a part of. I hope this round of bargaining goes well for our team, all bargaining teams deserve a round of drinks I think.

If you’re interested in becoming an NTEU delegate, come and meet me in the cafeteria. I like catching up with other delegates on my campus, we go to the cafeteria and eat hot chips. You can eat hot chips too! Join us!. ◆ Jennifer Allen Find out more at nteu.org.au/delegates

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

INTERNATIONAL ◆

Outrage in Pakistan as police assault lecturers protesting deep pay cuts Condemnation is pouring in from academics, civil society and politicians against disproportionate and heavy-handed action by Pakistani police against protesting university teachers, including beating them as they demonstrated this week in front of a provincial legislature.

University staff were protesting against government-imposed pay cuts due to the country’s economic crisis, exacerbated by COVID-19 related shutdowns.

Police in Pakistan’s north western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resorted to baton charges, firing tear gas and arresting university teachers from government-funded institutions when they gathered in front of the provincial legislative assembly in Peshawar on 31 May to raise their voices against the Provincial Government’s decision to reduce salaries of university employees.

The reductions are a response to the financial crunch faced by universities.

The province is one of the worst affected economically.

Universities across the province have shut down all academic and non-academic activities since 1 June to protest against the beatings of lecturers, and academic staff associations demanded immediate action against police officers who ordered the baton charge.

At least eight teachers sustained injuries while 24 were arrested as the police cracked down, surrounding the protesting teachers on three sides to disperse them.

Cases were registered against University of Peshawar employees who organised the protest.

Many universities in the province stopped paying allowances, which make up to 40% of basic pay, and reduced pension payments by 50% due to the financial crisis. Salary cuts were announced in January 2021 by the University of Peshawar administration, citing economic pressure.

Last month Peshawar’s Islamia College University issued a notification informing its employees of pay cuts, saying: 'We apologise to our staff for being unable to pay salaries in full due to financial constraints.'

However, the teaching staff association rejected the apology, blaming the Provincial Government for causing financial problems for universities.

Pakistan came under economic pressure in 2019 due to negative macro-economic indicators, including depleting foreign exchange reserves, a current account deficit, low exports and massive debt paybacks to the extent that the country had to get fresh loans from the International Monetary Fund to avoid default.

Coronavirus shutdowns added to the economic woes as revenue collection fell, unemployment increased and remittances from abroad were reduced.

Hamayoon Khan, a Professor of Agronomy at Peshawar’s University of Agriculture, told University World News: 'Pay cuts are unacceptable and why should only university teachers be burdened for the financial crunch facing government?

Why is government not cutting back the salaries of its huge bureaucracy? Why not cut salaries of the police who were used to beat university teachers?'

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chair of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party, strongly criticised the Provincial Government for pay cuts and condemned the beating of university teachers. In a media statement Zardari said: 'On one hand the Government is making claims of economic development, while on the other hand it is cutting salaries of university staff. That shows that economic development claims are false.'

Zardari criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf Government, which currently rules nationally and also in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, for slashing university budgets. 'You have reduced university budgets, increased fees of the students

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

and slashed salaries of the teachers. Is this your higher education vision?'

Academics at universities in other provinces also condemned 'police brutality' in Peshawar as protests against the beatings were held at university campuses across the country organised by the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA). A ‘black day’ was observed on 3 June, when protesters wore black armbands.

Abdul Sattar Malik, President of the Punjab chapter of FAPUASA, told University World News: 'It is highly shameful on the part of the KP’s Provincial Government [to be] thrashing and beating university staff who were demanding a reversal of pay cuts.

'We will continue to protest until all arrested teachers are released and all criminal cases made against protesting teachers are withdrawn and the decision [on] pay cuts is reversed.'

Justice Gulzar Ahmed, chief justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, remarked in another case on 1 June that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Government was borrowing from international lenders to pay government employee salaries, which he described as 'dangerous'.

In February this year the Peshawar High Court had taken note of the financial crisis facing universities in the province and had directed the authorities to immediately resolve the issue of university funding 'to avoid a crisis in future'. ◆ Ameen Amjad Khan This article republished from University World News, 4 June 2021, Image: Police attack academics in Peshawar.

Chitral Students Association KPK/Facebook

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◆ INTERNATIONAL David Matos/Unsplash

Decolonial science

Towards more equitable knowledge practices Critique alone does not address university problems.

Concrete actions are also needed if we are to interrupt received systems and redress a global hierarchy that equates south with underneath.

In a recent paper in Nature, Ecology and Evolution entitled ‘Decoloniality and AntiOppressive Practices for a More Ethical Ecology’, my colleagues Christopher Trisos, Madhusudan Katti and I develop five concrete interventions for shifting practice in the production of scientific knowledge.

Jess Auerbach, North-West University South Africa D @Jess_Auerbach

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These shifts are neither comprehensive nor proscriptive, but represent one step in a nuanced journey towards more equitable knowledge practices around the globe.

The paper is the result of an ongoing dialogue between friends that began in response to the #RhodesMustFall student movements of 2015 in South Africa.

INTERNATIONAL ◆

Knowledge of history Secondly, we call for knowledge of history to be critical for ecology, and also beyond. We argue that no system of knowledge can afford to operate without awareness of both dominant and contesting histories of place, space and relationship.

Events take place in context, and those contexts must be carefully understood.

For example, no analysis of South Africa’s Kruger National Park can be complete without an understanding of who lived on the land that is now ‘protected’ and when?

As young scholars, we did not want to simply replicate old systems, but how to change practice has often been quite unclear. The paper comes from a three-year working conversation.

The interventions we propose are a start, not a checklist, and could and should be nuanced to ensure that they are fit for purpose in different fields and institutional contexts.

These interventions are of relevance to African higher education because they represent examples of the kinds of changes that, not only disciplines, but institutions, can and must increasingly demand for equitable research relationships and outputs.

In the paper, we lay out some of the implications of this mixture of world view, power and capitalism to argue that the well-being of the majority of the planet has been compromised by the dominance of one culture of knowledge and knowing.

The five interventions that we call for in the discipline of ecology could easily be applied to other fields: decolonisation of the mind, knowledge of histories, the decolonisation of data, the decolonisation of expertise, and working in inclusive teams.

I provide a brief summary of these points before elaborating on their larger implications.

Political vs scientific constructs

Decolonisation of mental spaces

Our paper begins with an acknowledgement of the emergence of ‘ecology’ as a field and a discipline within European knowledge systems closely enmeshed with colonialism and empire.

Firstly, a decolonisation of mental spaces.

By this, we mean a recognition of the extent to which almost all of us currently working in higher education have been shaped by received notions of excellence and disciplinary expectations.

We reflect on how forms of research practice that we now take for granted today were, in fact, integral to the process of European domination of global knowledge systems.

The diagram we include (see above) of the naming of birds after Europeans illustrates our argument that colonisation was so ubiquitous as to have become invisible in the systems around us.

That the far right in Canada, the US and elsewhere has seized this map on social media and gone to considerable efforts to ‘correct’ it by flipping it so that North is again ‘on top’ shows the sensitivity and fragility around received systems of knowing that are imbued with power. In space, there is no ‘north’ – that ‘north’ is on ‘top’ is a political, not a scientific, construct.

This ‘mental colonisation’ makes it difficult for us to see what other ways of approaching research questions might be possible.

Researchers are typically ‘quantitative’ or ‘qualitative’ depending on the histories of their disciplines. They receive and perpetuate ideas of what count as ‘good’ sources and reproduce conventions of research question, answer and output that, in many cases, are out of touch with societal needs and expectations.

Mental decolonisation requires recognising that all knowledge is political and based as much on exclusion as on inclusion. Exploring those exclusions is an important first step towards more inclusive and responsive work.

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How did it become ‘empty’ of people, and what might the communities who now live around it and are often lambasted for poaching reflect on rights to territory and sustenance?

History helps researchers make sense of how and why their research questions came to be questions in the first place.

Access Thirdly we take on the challenge of access, which is of particular importance in the African academic space.

We argue that, unless access to outputs, but also to servers, technologies, research sites, materials and conferences, is made more inclusive. If not, we effectively condemn scientists and scholars in under-resourced areas to remain outside critical research processes (or when accessing copyrighted material in expensive paywalled journals, to habitually break the law). This is needed just to stay up to date with current research.

Here, African universities could play a much harder ball game than they currently do. It is up to us not to request, but to require, inclusion and access at all stages of the research process. This includes conceptualisation, undertaking and dissemination as critical pre-conditions of knowledge sharing and research participation, especially from Western scholars parachuting in for research projects in countries that continue to welcome them.

We need to demand that data is stored where, and in ways, that our researchers and students can access it.

We must require that conferences and research proceedings only take place in locations where we can all meet – particularly given the likely long-term effects of COVID-19 and vaccine nationalism. continued overpage...

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◆ INTERNATIONAL

Decolonial science continued...

We need to lobby for equitable research visa laws, onsite analysis and open access results, for publication in local journals as a precondition of research, for inclusion in gatekeeping bodies.

Decolonising expertise Gatekeeping is a critical point when it comes to discussions of expertise, and decolonising expertise is our fourth intervention.

The title ‘Professor’ does not necessarily equate to wisdom, and a PhD does not imply compassion or care. As a planet, we need to understand that expertise comes in many forms and from many different journeys through knowledge systems. We cannot rely only on those whose intelligence has been stamped with a scroll.

There are many possible examples, but let me make it personal: I hold a PhD from Stanford University, a widely respected piece of global knowledge currency.

According to Stanford and the knowledge system that upholds it, I am an ‘expert’ in Angola – the country where my doctoral research was based. Compared to many people outside of Angola, I do, indeed, know a lot, and my work has been evaluated by peers both inside and outside that country.

Yet, compared to most Angolans, despite my best efforts, I remain woefully ignorant in many important areas. Am I really an ‘expert’ or am I just someone the Western university system can listen to because I write in English? What if I could not write at all? Being a bridge is important, but we should recognise it for what it is, and see it as a link in a chain of connection, not the expertise itself.

teams. By this, we mean diversity that does not only go skin deep, and that does not stop at bringing people into the same room.

Often ‘diversity’ initiatives fail in academia because they fail to address the deeper reasons for exclusion and inclusion. Outputs are a result of knowledge systems and, therefore, will change only if the systems are addressed at every level.

To really work across the scars of history, we need teams that are inclusive along intersectional lines. We must consider class, gender, race, body type, neurodiversity, physical ability, age, parenthood, and so much more.

Long-term commitments to the spaces of research are also important. As are friendships, histories and expectations of futures that present work will bring into being.

These are the interventions that our work calls for in the context of ecology, but their resonance goes far deeper into the knowledge systems that shape the core of contemporary society under late capitalism.

Collaborations needed As scholars such as Frantz Fanon, Francis Nyamnjoh and Achille Mbembe have argued for decades, African universities and knowledge work has been crafted as, at best, ‘in dialogue’ with Euro-American intellectual canons and, at worst, inferior.

‘Local knowledge’ has tended to be relegated to low-status fields such as anthropology and simply ignored by most ‘scientists’ as irrelevant.

If my expertise were in algebraic equations, I could and should still recognise the social systems in which my training was embedded.

In the knowledge hierarchy of Euro-American late-capitalism, there is little place for relationship, care, and commitment to sustaining or improving the future.

Or, as in the case of ecology that we elucidate, knowledge of ecosystems might be transmitted through generations and outside of scientific papers, but it does not make that knowledge any less helpful.

In fact, the opposite is true, because any knowledge that is relational rather than extractive is likely to be more durable in place.

The system is driven by recognition via algorithms placed in entities such as the H Index, Scopus, or Google Scholar that do not factor in the ‘slow work’ of humanity in relationship with the environment (never mind with other people).

Inclusive teams Our final intervention is to call for the practice of ethical ecology in inclusive

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African universities, like others, scurry to climb ranking tables without seeming to pause to reflect on what those ranking tables actually assess. Do they assess the qualities that we will need to survive the current century? What are we trying to better, when we improve our position on

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them? The needs of society? The people around us? Our students?

‘Decoloniality and Anti-Oppressive Practices Towards a More Equitable Ecology’ is not a solution to the troubles that face the academy.

We are profoundly aware of the manifold privileges (and ironies) that it required to have this paper appear in a Nature research journal in the first place.

Yet it also shows that, just because things are done a certain way, does not mean they have to be. It is absolutely possible to acknowledge this, behave differently, and ensure the expectations change for others.

African universities need to flex a lot more muscle and demand a better deal.

Extraction of resources both intellectual and material happens because the knowledge ecosystem allows it, and that must now be stopped.

More respectful, sincere collaborations are urgently needed, but we can’t just criticise, we need to map out how.

The way forward my colleagues and I have presented for ecology is only one potential path, and only a footstep in a much longer journey.

If scholars, institutions and disciplines would like to think with us about how to map potential futures, we are open, and committed, to this dialogue. ◆ Jess Auerbach is a Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at North-West University in South Africa. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from Stanford University and is the author of 'From Water to Wine: Becoming middle class in Angola' and the forthcoming 'Archive of Kindness: Stories from the other side of the South African pandemic'.

This article republished from University World News, 3 June 2021, The co-authors of the paper itself are Christopher H Trisos, a Senior Researcher at the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and Madhusudan Katti, an Associate Professor in forestry and environmental resources at North Carolina State University, USA.

INTERNATIONAL ◆

Support UCU's Leicester boycott NTEU members are asked to support the University & College Union (UCU) global boycott of the University of Leicester.

The University of Leicester has threatened over 100 staff with compulsory redundancy. Managers refuse to share data on finances with campus trade unions.

The long-running dispute has led to UCU implementing the ultimate sanction of being grey-listed; UCU members have also begun a marking and assessment boycott, and having seen no meaningful engagement from the University have announced full strike action, with walkouts planned for 9, 10 & 11 June.

The sanction means UCU is asking its members, other trade unions, labour movement organisations and the international academic community to support its members at Leicester in any way possible, including by: • Not applying for any advertised jobs at Leicester.

• Not speaking at or organising academic or other conferences at Leicester.

• Not accepting invitations to give lectures at Leicester.

UK employers 'too cowardly' to stand up for education Speaking at the UK’s University & College Union (UCU) annual congress, UCU General Secretary Jo Grady paid tribute to members for standing up for education and criticised employers who 'care more about business than they do the business of education'.

• Not accepting positions as visiting professors or researchers at Leicester.

• Not writing for any academic journal which is edited at or produced by Leicester.

• Not accepting new contracts as external examiners for taught courses at Leicester.

• Refusing to collaborate on new research projects with Leicester.

Further actions you can take If you have any links with the university, please respect the global academic boycott of the institution.

Tweet your support, using the hashtag #BoycottLeicester, tagging @UniOfLeicester, @NCanagarajah and @LeicesterUCU. Share the Facebook page and the wall of support.

Write to the University's President and Vice-Chancellor Nishan Canagarajah (vc@ leicester.ac.uk), and Gary Dixon (gd104@ leicester.ac.uk), who chairs University

successes at Branch level over the past year, including at Aston, Heriot Watt and Goldsmiths; as well as the groundbreaking work UCU is doing to create a more trauma informed approach to casework to better support survivors of sexual violence, the new ways UCU is engaging members, and the continuing battles over health and safety, casualisation, pensions, and workload. Jo said these challenges could only be won through organising and growing the Union.

Jo said the Government was 'full of shameless liars' who rely on employers that are 'too cowardly' to stand up with UCU members and fight for education.

To overcome these obstacles, the Union had to be focused on 'organising to win' in workplaces.

Jo went on to blast the Government for its failures during the pandemic and said UCU was one of the few voices fighting throughout the crisis to keep workers safe. She said that while UCU was calling for in-person teaching to be halted to prevent a second wave, the whole political establishment was siding with PM Boris Johnson and against workers. Nevertheless, she said the Union's position was crucial to saving lives and the Government finally admitted UCU's stance was the right one.

The speech, Jo's second to Congress as General Secretary, covered the many

Jo also paid tribute to Donna Coleman, a UCU member and dedicated teach-

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

Council, to explain why you have withdrawn your interest or association. UCU have created some template letter ideas.

If you know anyone who works at the University of Leicester or who is otherwise associated with it (e.g. a member of council or court), then please get in touch with them. Make sure they know what is happening, make sure they know how serious the situation is! Ask what they are doing to support at-risk colleagues and defend the University. Ask if they are observing actions short of a strike.

It's especially important that senior members of the University – Professors and Heads Of Department/School are held to account: Heads of School sit on University Senate, which is responsible for the institution's academic integrity. ◆ ucu.org.uk/boycottleicester

er who tragically passed away after contracting COVID-19. Donna died after UCU raised COVID-19 safety concerns.

Jo said far too many workers have contracted COVID-19 due to the incompetence of this Government and employers during the pandemic, but that UCU would continue to work tirelessly to ensure the same mistakes will not be repeated.

Jo ended by pointing to the massive struggles ahead: 'We have attacks on the arts and humanities. We have attacks on adult education. We still need to get prison education renationalised, and our campaign to rebuild FE is more pressing now than ever. But friends, I want to end this address as I started, the dedication of UCU members to fight these fights, to stand by each other – whether that's our colleagues, our students, or the victims of the Home Office.' ◆ Read the full speech at: ucu.org.uk/article/11590/Employerstoo-cowardly-to-stand-up-for-education-Jo-Grady-says

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◆ MY UNION

NTEU Scholarships 2021 NTEU is again offering two scholarships in 2021. The application deadline is Friday 30 July 2021. A decision will be made in late August 2021.

Carolyn Allport Scholarship The Carolyn Allport Scholarship for Postgraduate Feminist Studies by Research is available for a student undertaking postgraduate feminist studies, by research, in any discipline, awarding $5000 per year for a maximum of 3 years to the successful applicant. Applicants must be currently enrolled in postgraduate studies, by research, in an academic award of an Australian public university.

This scholarship has been created in recognition of Dr Carolyn Allport’s contribution to the leadership and development of the Union in her 16 years as National President.

Above: Carolyn Allport Below: Joan Hardy

Joan Hardy Scholarship The Joan Hardy Scholarship for postgraduate nursing research is available for any student undertaking a study of nurses, nursing culture or practices, or historical aspects of nursing as a lay or professional practice. The student need not therefore be or have been a nurse and can be undertaking the study in disciplines/schools other than nursing.

A sum of $5000 will be paid in two instalments; half on the awarding of the Scholarship and the remainder on evidence of submission of the thesis. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an academic award of an Australian public university, and expect to submit the thesis within one year of being awarded the Scholarship.

This scholarship recognises the contribution the late Joan Hardy made to higher education and higher education unionism in over 30 years of activism. ◆ More info nteu.org.au/myunion/scholarships or contact Helena Spyrou hspyrou@nteu.org.au.

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New Tas Div Sec

bargaining team in 2016 and was elected to Division Council in 2017.

Due to a vacancy in the role of Division Secretary, Pat McConville has been co-opted into the role for the balance of the current term.

Pat will be familiar to many at UTAS. He undertook his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) at UTAS and then worked in Tasmanian State and Federal politics as a ministerial and parliamentary advisor. He joined UTAS in a professional staff role as Program Manager, Public Events, where he managed the University’s public lecture program and helped deliver graduations and protocol events. During his time at UTAS, he was also seconded to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and worked as a sessional academic teaching in courses in nursing (ethics) and the University Preparation Program (critical thinking).

Pat left Tasmania in 2018 to begin doctoral studies in philosophical bioethics at Monash University, which he will complete in mid2022. He has continued as an NTEU member in this time, working casually/ sessionally as a Teaching Associate and Research Associate at Monash University and the University of Sydney. Pat, his partner, and their young daughter returned home to Tasmania to be closer to family.

Pat joined the NTEU because he believes that the University operates on the basis of the labour of all its workers, professional and academic, and that our work is only properly recognised and rewarded when we make our voices heard collectively. He believes that the Union is our best, and often times our only, defence against a corporate and capricious system which must be constantly reminded that education only comes with the efforts of University workers.

Pat takes up the position of Division Secretary with lived experience as a professional and academic staff member of UTAS, and an understanding of the labour movement and higher education sector. He has a strong track record as an effective communicator and advocate, and a commitment to advancing the interests of university staff and Union members, and will serve you well as Secretary of the Tasmanian Division. ◆

While at UTAS, Pat was an active NTEU member, contributing to advocacy inside and strategy outside the negotiating room. He represented professional staff as part of the Union

Above: Pat McConville with his daughter at a Change the Rules rally in Hobart, 2018.

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MY UNION ◆

Our Uni, Our Union, our shout!

NTEU University of South Australia (UniSA) Branch celebrated the union won pay rise by shouting members and potential members a free coffee across UniSA campuses.

UniSA staff were invited to come to participating cafés to meet up with NTEU Delegates for a free coffee and to talk about the upcoming bargaining process.

Originally planned for the week starting 28 June, we were forced to put a pause on the activity mid-week because of COVID restrictions but will be back at it as soon as we can! ◆ www.nteu.org.au/unisa/enterprise_bargaining_2021

Above: UniSA members Sam Whiting and Victoria Rollinson at Phat Coffee in Adelaide handing out free coffee vouchers to celebrate the union won pay rise.

Research Promoter Promote your research to your fellow NTEU members NTEU is proud to announce Research Promoter, a new initiative to promote research currently being undertaken by our members in each edition of our online journal, Sentry.

Do you or one of your postgrad students have a research project that features an online questionnaire or other instrument that you would like fellow NTEU members to complete? We will feature details of your project in Sentry magazine to help increase the reach of your potential participants.

To be featured, you must be a current NTEU member. And don't forget that membership for Postgraduate students is free (visit nteu.org.au/postgrad for more details).

Simply send an outline of your research in 200 words or less, including a link (or links) to your online research and any relevant images, to Paul Clifton, pclifton@nteu.org.au. ◆ www.nteu.org.au/research_promoter

ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

RESEARCH PROMOTER 39

◆ MY UNION

New NTEU staff Please welcome new staff in our offices.

Jacob Debets Vic Division Industrial Officer Jacob Debets started as an Industrial Officer with the Union in May. He is a unionist, lawyer and writer with a strong interest in industrial relations, labour economics and combat sports.

Before starting with the NTEU, Jacob worked as a solicitor for Arnold Bloch Leibler and as an Associate in the Fair Work Commission. He is relieved to be finally working for the good guys.

Mary Doyle Branch Organiser, Deakin Having worked in call centres during her 20s whilst singing in bands, Mary found herself in the late 90s working in a health insurance call centre. She was the union delegate and signed up many new members as well as set up a delegate network where there hadn’t been one previously.

After that Mary went on to work as an Organiser for her union, the Financial Services Union (FSU), in early 2000 where she stayed for the next 7½ years. In 2007 she went on to work for the Health and

Community Services Union (HACSU) as an Organiser. In 2009, Mary landed a job at the ACTU as the Marketing Officer, until January 2019 when she became ACTU’s Partnerships Manager. Mary finished up at the ACTU in February 2021.

NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF

Mary has a son, 20 (a student at La Trobe Uni) a daughter, 17 and is also the guardian of her great-niece, 14.

Director (Industrial & Legal) Wayne Cupido Senior Legal Officer Kelly Thomas National Industrial Officer (Research & Projects)

Ken McAlpine National Industrial Officer Campbell Smith Industrial Support Officer Renee Veal

Phil Brennan

Director (Policy & Research) Policy & Research Officers

Branch Organiser, UNSW

National A&TSI Director National A&TSI Organiser

Phil is a parental leave replacement Organiser at the University of NSW. He comes to the NTEU from the Fair Work Commission. His previous public service roles have been with several workplace focused agencies, including the Fair Work Ombudsman. He also enjoyed two stints organising at the CPSU.

Terri MacDonald Kieran McCarron Adam Frogley Celeste Liddle

Director (Campaigning & Organising) Dom Rowe National Organiser (Media & Engagement)

Michael Evans National Organiser (Publications) Paul Clifton Communications Organiser (Digital) Jake Wishart Education & Training Organiser Helena Spyrou Executive Manager Peter Summers National Membership Officer Melinda Valsorda ICT Network Engineer Tam Vuong Database Programmer/Data Analyst Uffan Saeed Payroll Administrator/HR Assistant Jo Riley Manager, Office of General Secretary & President

Anastasia Kotaidis Executive Officer (Meetings & Events)

Tracey Coster Admin Officer (Membership & Campaigns)

Julie Ann Veal Receptionist & Admin Support Leanne Foote

As the son of a career academic Phil is looking forward to diving into the work of the NTEU. Away from work his son’s sport keeps him busy – umpiring cricket, boundary umpire at Aussie rules and enthusiastic supporter at soccer.

Staff appointments

Acting Finance Manager Justin Hester Senior Finance Officer Gracia Ho Finance Officers Alex Ghvaladze, Daphne Zhang,

Tamara Labadze, Jay Premkumar

Paul Kniest has resigned as Director (Policy and Research) after almost a decade in the position. Dr Terri MacDonald was appointed to replace Paul in his position from 31 March 2021.

Kieran McCarron has been appointed to the National Policy and Research Officer position. ◆

Please update your NTEU membership details if:

OR

Your work address details change.

OR

Your Department or School changes its name or merges with another.

Office, building, campus etc.

OR

You move house.

Required if your home is your nominated contact address.

You change your name.

Update online at

You are leaving university employment.

Send an email to

nteu.org.au /members

Please email the National Office if:

OR

OR

You move to another institution.

Your employment details change.

Transfer of membership between institutions is not automatic.

Please notify us to ensure you are paying the correct fees.

Your credit card or direct debit account details change.

OR

Deductions will not stop automatically.

national @nteu.org.au

If your payroll deductions stop without your authority, please urgently contact your institution’s Payroll Department

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ADVOCATE VOL. 28 NO. 2 ◆ JULY 2021

Introducing the new refreshed look of your benefits platform.

Providing NTEU members real-time discounts and offers, your benefits platform has recently refreshed its design. Explore the improved access to your savings and recently launched new benefits!

All your shopping needs including real-time and fast access to discounted e-gift cards, whitegoods, and electronic accessories.

Everything for your vehicle needs, including new cars, insurance and fuel egift cards.

Accommodation, tours, airline lounges and more travel benefits for as business travel returns.

Dedicated brokers for insurance needs, from house & contents to income protection.

Financial offers on international money transfers, financial planning and credit cards.

nteu.memberadvantage.com.au For more information e: customercare@memberadvantage.com.au ph: 1300 853 352.

Health insurance 101 Thought to you

by UniHealth.

Health insurance for the higher education community and their families.

Get a quote or comparison today.

Visit unihealthinsurance.com.au or call 1300 367 906 Eligibility criteria and conditions apply. Teachers Federation Health Ltd ABN 86 097 030 414 trading as UniHealth. A Registered Private Health Insurer. UNI-NTEU -06/21