10 March 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… NTEU members at the University of Queensland (UQ) will strike on 11 March for better pay and conditions. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… NTEU UQ Branch President, Associate Professor Andrew Bonnell, said that the University languishes behind others when it came to pay, workloads, and indigenous employment. He said UQ is in the top three universities in Australia on most indicators but ranks 23rdfor pay and that, despite student numbers having risen by 20% over 5 years, there has been no increase in teaching staff. The strain this places on workloads obviously has negative consequences for student … [Read more...]
Macquarie staff to strike
10/03/2014 by
The Australian | 10 March 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… NTEU members at Macquarie University are striking on Tuesday 11 March for more permanent and early career academic staff to address casualisation and ensure fairer workloads. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Management has offered staff a 9 % pay rise over three years in a proposal largely in line with recent agreements elsewhere in the sector of around 3 per cent a year. But the union is seeking 11% over three-and-a-half years, or just over 3.1% a year. The key disagreement is over the NTEU’s national campaign to get universities to convert more casual positions into permanent … [Read more...]
TDA Newsletter 10 March 2014
10/03/2014 by
TAFE Meets Parliament 2014 Assistant Education Minister, Sussan Ley The National Board of TAFE Directors Australia met Coalition Ministers, Shadow Ministers, MPs and a key Senate committee as part of TAFE Meets Canberra 2014. Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane met with the Deputy Chair of TDA, Dianne Murray and CEO Martin Riordan to discuss TDA’s case for addressing red tape and compliance costs, and moving to a risk framework under new VET regulatory standards. Meetings were held with Alan Tudge, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, who invited TDA to address solutions to ‘closing the gap’ for indigenous communities in city, regional and remote … [Read more...]
Scales to head NBN review
10/03/2014 by
10 March 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Former Telstra director and current chancellor of Swinburne university Bill Scales will lead the sixth National Broadband Network-related audit since the Coalition government came to power. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Scales brings "a wealth of experience in public policy and telecommunications to the role". He has been chairman of the Industry Commission (now the Productivity Commission), secretary of Victoria’s Department of Premier and Cabinet and has been involved with other high-profile inquiries including the Bradley review of higher education and … [Read more...]
EBAs: Monash settle – Swinburne, Macquarie and UQ unsettled
10/03/2014 by
10 March 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and Monash University have reached in-principle agreement on a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) , following strike action on 3 March, while NTEU and Swinburne appear headed to court. Staff are striking at Macquarie and Queensland over pay and workload issues. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The deal provides for a salary increase going forward of 13% for the life of the new agreement, in addition to the 2% administrative pay rise which Monash University staff received last year making a total salary increase of 15% to be delivered by 30 June … [Read more...]
ACPET National Monday Update 10 March 2013
10/03/2014 by
In Focus Inspirational Edition 544, 10 MarShort but sweet from me this week and an opportunity to let the achievements of others do the talking: It gave me a great sense of pride on International Women's Day to see BRW release the list of Australia's leading business women. On behalf of ACPET I offer my warmest congratulations... Read moreFeatured Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) criterion to be reviewed Edition 544, 10 MarThe Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) criterion for student visas remains a contentious barrier to studying in Australia. Since its introduction in November 2011, ACPET has collated hundreds of examples of questionable visa refusals on the basis of the GTE criterion, … [Read more...]
