Union's National Secretary to visit Lismore

David Carey, the National Secretary of the union covering university General Staff (CPSU), will be visiting Lismore on Tuesday to meet with staff at Southern Cross University.

Mr Carey will be addressing a specially convened General Staff forum to discuss new university funding controls, recently unveiled by Federal Workplace Relations Minister, Kevin Andrews, and Education Minister, Brendan Nelson.

"Under the changes, university funding will be tied to new industrial relations requirements, most notably the threat of individual contracts, known as Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs)," Mr Carey said.

"Our concerns, are that conditions of employment will be dragged down, and that the capacity for staff to be represented by their union will be severely compromised."

"There is not a single university or university council, or university body anywhere in Australia that has asked for any of these changes."

"This is a dogmatic and ideological move by the Federal Government, which seeks to cut off General Staff from their union, and their ability to bargain collectively."

"The Government's underlying aim is to reduce wages by lowering conditions, under the guise of so-called 'flexibility'."

"All this will do, is increase staff turnover and decrease staff morale."

"Ultimately, these are bad outcomes for education," Mr Carey said.

The forum, titled, General Staff Rights Under Attack, will take place at Southern Cross University's Lismore campus, in lecture theatre B231 on Tuesday, 24 May, from 12 noon to 1.00 pm. Teleconferencing facilities, will enable General Staff at Coffs Harbour campus to participate from room A120 there.

The forum will also be addressed by Senior Industrial Officer, Andrew Holland, and SCU Branch President, Ms Toni Ledgerwood, who is the elected General Staff representative on Southern Cross University Council.