Vol. 3 No. 2, August 2010

An NTEU Publication for Casual and Sessional Staff

read online at www.unicasual.com.auISSN 1836-8522 (Print)/ISSN 1836-8530 (Online)

Bargaining Update:

New Agreements contain positive

provisions for casuals

A Casual Affair Erica Cervini, aka The Third Degree,

blogs on being a casual

Paid Parental LeaveAustralia finally has a national paid

parental leave scheme. But what does it deliver for casuals?

Why I’m a memberMorgan Rodgers Gibson

Casualisation and class divisionA new report suggests university casualisation directly relates to issues of quality, security and collegiality.

An NTEU Publication for Casual and Sessional Staff

CONNECT

CONNECT1

Get Active. Get Covered

EditorialWelcome to the 5th edition of Connect, the magazine for casual and sessional staff, produced twice yearly by the Na-tional Tertiary Education Union.

In this edition we look at the Federal Gov-

ernment’s new Paid Parental Leave scheme

and ask what it means for casual and ses-

sional staff in higher education.

It is over 30 years since Australian unions

won the right to 12 months unpaid mater-

nity leave for working women. During this

time, Australia remained only one of two

OECD countries without a general entitle-

ment to paid maternity leave.

Whilst the Government’s new Scheme

represents an important first step, there are

many aspects which can be improved and

of which NTEU remains critical – none more

so than in relation to the eligibility of casual,

sessional and seasonal working parents.

We explain how some of our casual and

sessional members will be able to qualify

for the Government’s payment and outline

the improvements that we will continue to

campaign for.

We also look at the latest outcomes for

casual and sessional staff achieved through

Collective Bargaining with an update on

recently concluded Enterprise Agreements

negotiated by NTEU.

It is great that our members continue to

share their stories and campaign ideas and

we encourage you to contact your local

NTEU Branch should you wish to contribute

to our future editions.

Cover image by Dirk H R Spennemann, www.ausphoto.net

Connect is a publication of the National Tertiary Education Union. All Rights Reserved 2010.

For more information on Connect and its content please contact the NTEU National Office:

Post: PO Box 1323, South Melbourne VIC 3205 Phone: (03) 9254 1910 Fax: (03) 9254 1915 Email: national@nteu.org.auWeb: www.nteu.org.au www.unicasual.com.au

Local Branch contact details available at: www.unicasual.com.au/contact.html

The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors, and not necessarily the official views of NTEU.

InsideEditorial .......................................................1

Bargaining update ........................................ 2

Paid Parental Leave scheme ........................... 3

Academic casualisation – a class issue? .......... 5

NTEU Monash and La Trobe publish guides for sessional academic staff................................ 6

The Third Degree: A casual affair .................... 7

Member focus: Morgan Rodgers Gibson ........... 9

Membership Form ....................................... 10

Grahame McCulloch, NTEU General Secretary

In accordance with NTEU policy to reduce our impact on

the natural environment, this magazine is printed on 100%

recycled paper: produced from 65% post-consumer waste and

35% pre-consumer waste.

2Semester 2, 2010

Bargaining update: New Agreements contain positive provisions for casuals

Since the last issue of Connect, NTEU has accelerated bargaining across Australian universities and we now have finalised enterprise agreements at over 19 sites. Improved pay and working conditions for casuals has been a major and successful part of the Union’s claims in this round of bargaining.

For more details on what casual provisions are contained in your Agreement, contact your local Branch, or find your Agreement on the NTEU website, www.nteu.org.au/rights/agreements.

Annual Wage Growth

25% Loading Separate Pay for Marking

More Secure Jobs* Limits on Casual Nos.

University of Sydney 5.10% Yes Yes Ability to be offered fixed term teaching focused position; right to appy for conversion

a

Edith Cowan University (Academic)

4.70% Yes, from 2011 Yes, from 2012 ECDFs to be created and advertised over life of the Agreement

a

La Trobe University 4.20% Yes Yes 20 ECDFs; right to apply for conversion a

University of Canberra 4.30% Yes Yes 6 ECDFs a

Monash University 4.10% Yes, from 2011 Yes 25 ECDFs; right to apply for conversion a

RMIT University 4.40% Yes Yes 36 ECDFs; right to apply for conversion b

Swinburne University 4.50% Yes Yes 10 - 16 ECDFs; right to apply for conversion a

University of Ballarat 4.80% Yes Yes 10 ECDFs; right to apply for conversion a

James Cook University 4.90% Yes Yes At least 1 ECDF to be created in each Faculty; convertible fixed term positions to continuing

b

University of Western Sydney (Academic)

4.80% Yes Yes 16 ECDFs and ability to be offered fixed term teaching focused position

a

Central Qld University 4.30% Yes Yes Right to apply for conversion b

University of Melbourne 4.60% Yes, from 2011 Yes 28 ECDFs; right to apply for conversion a

Murdoch University (Academic)

4.3%–6.3%

Yes Yes, from 2012‡ 9 ECDFs a

University of New England (Academic)

4.30% Yes Yes Right to apply for conversion b

Charles Sturt University 4.90% Yes, from 2011 Yes Right to apply for conversion a

Southern Cross University

4.70% Yes Yes ECDFs to be created and advertised over life of the Agreement

a

University of Tasmania 4.30% Yes Yes 5 - 10 ECDFs; professional development opportunities for casuals

a

Australian National University

4.10% Yes Yes Right to apply for conversion b

University of Sthn Qld 5% Yes Yes Right to apply for conversion b

By Eleanor Floyd and Rachel Liebhaber

* ECDFs mean Early Career Development Fellowships. These are generally 2 year teaching and research, or research only, contracts for casual academics who are soon to complete, or have recently completed their phDs.

‡ University and NTEU conducting a review of casual rates. Separate pay for marking to be confirmed from 1 Jan 2012

Limits on Casual Numbers:

a Agreement contains limits that restrict the percentage of casual staff in proportion to full-time staff that can be employed by the University.

b Agreement contains provision that limits the circumstances in which casual staff may be hired.

CONNECT3

Paid Parental LeaveWhat it means for you

On 1 January 2011, the Federal Government’s Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme will finally commence. It follows many months of debate in the Australian parliament and many years of campaigning by the union movement. It is a campaign in which NTEU has been at the forefront, achieving the benchmark in the Australian community by negotiating paid parental leave entitlements of between 26 and 36 weeks for the majority of staff working in higher education. But what is in the Gov-ernment’s new scheme and what does it means for casual employees in the higher education sector?

Some casual and sessional employees in

higher education will be able to qualify

and access the Federal Government’s new

payment and we outline the criteria for

eligibility and explain how to qualify.

However, it is disappointing to note

that the Federal Government has failed to

ensure that the new PPL Scheme will able

to be accessed by all long term casual staff.

We therefore consider opportunities for

further campaigns to be waged to improve

the entitlements for all working parents –

particularly casual and sessional staff.

What is the new PPL entitlement?

• A taxpayer funded payment of 18 weeks

at the Federal minimum wage (currently

$569.90 per week, resulting in a total pay-

ment of $10,258.20).

• Can be taken by either parent and is

available to adoptive parents.

• Must be taken any time in the first year

after birth.

• Is treated as taxable income.

• Is in addition to any employer paid pa-

rental leave entitlements or other leave

entitlements.

• Employers are not obliged to pay super-

annuation on the Government’s 18 week

payment and no other entitlements, such

as leave, are accrued during this period.

Who is eligible?

A person is eligible for the payment if they:

• Are the mother of a newborn child or

the initial primary carer of a recently

adopted child, and

• Have met the PPL ‘Work Test’ before the

birth or adoption occurs, and

• Have an individual income of $150,000 a

year or less.

PPL can be transferred to the child’s other

parent either wholly or in part.

A person who resigns prior to the ex-

pected date of birth, or who is no longer

employed (but has nonetheless satisfied the

Work Test) is eligible for the PPL payment.

Families not eligible for the Govern-

ment’s PPL payment, or who choose not

to participate in the scheme, will be able

to continue to access the Baby Bonus (cur-

rently $5294 tax free) and Family Tax benefit

if they are eligible.

What is the ‘Work Test’?

The PPL ‘Work Test’ is met where a person

has:

• ‘Worked continuously’ for at least 10 of

the 13 months prior to the birth or adop-

tion of the child, and

• Worked at least 330 hours in that 10

month period .

A person is regarded as having ‘worked

continuously’ even where:

• Work has been performed on a part-time

basis, casual or sessional basis.

• The person has had multiple employers

or has recently changed jobs or has re-

cently resigned or left their employment.

• The person is between jobs or on unpaid

leave for no more than 8 weeks at a time.

by Michelle Rangott, Industrial Officer

4Semester 2, 2010

• Work is performed for a family business

or the person is self-employed.

How will it be paid?

Applications for PPL are made to the Family

Assistance Office by the prospective par-

ent. The employer is not required to do

anything until they receive notification from

the Family Assistance Office.

The Family Assistance Office will provide

the payment to the employer to pass on

to employees through the existing payroll

system.

In cases where a prospective parent has

more than one employer, the parent can

nominate which employer they wish to

administer the payment. Alternatively, the

Family Assistance Office is able to make the

payment directly to the family depending

on the circumstances.

The Family Assistance Office makes the

determination of eligibility and will seek

information from both the prospective par-

ent and the employer (or employers where

more than one).

How does PPL interact with the Baby Bonus?

Currently, financial support is provided

to families through a range of payments

including the Baby Bonus and Family Tax

Benefit Part A and Part B.

Eligible parents will be able to choose

whether to claim the Government’s PPL pay-

ment or choose to receive the Baby Bonus,

depending on which is better for them.

As the PPL payment is classed as taxable

income and will affect entitlements to Fam-

ily Tax Benefits, it is important that prospec-

tive parents obtain advice as to whether

the PPL payment or the tax-free Baby

Bonus is more advantageous.

A calculator to assist parents to calculate

whether the baby bonus or PPL payment

best suits them will be available on the

Family Assistance Office website www.

familyassist.gov.au.

What about existing paid parental leave schemes?

The Government’s PPL payment is in addi-

tion to any employer paid parental leave

scheme. This means employers cannot

withdraw any paid parental leave payment

in an existing Enterprise Agreement and

must not use the new Government pay-

ment to replace any employer paid paren-

tal leave entitlements already in place.

Therefore, in the University sector, an

employee who is eligible to receive 26-36

weeks paid parental leave under an exist-

ing Enterprise Agreement will also receive

the Government’s 18 week payment (at

the minimum wage). The Government’s 18

week payment can be paid before, after

or at the same time as the employer paid

parental leave (or any other form of leave

such as annual leave).

The only restriction in receiving the

Government’s 18 week payment is that it

must be taken within 12 months of the birth

or adoption of the child. The employee can

choose to receive the Government’s pay-

ment at any time within that first year.

What does PPL mean for Casual and Sessional staff?

There are a number of issues which will af-

fect the ability of casual and sessional staff

to receive the PPL payment, with the ‘Work

Test’ being the key determinant.

Unfortunately, the current definition of

the Work Test may very well prove to be a

significant barrier to many long-term casual

staff being able to qualify for the 18 week

payment. This is due to the fact that many

casual and sessional staff in higher educa-

tion are often employed on a semester-

by-semester basis and therefore face a

break of more than eight weeks between

employment periods.

Therefore, whilst many casual employ-

ees in universities may easily exceed the

threshold of 330 hours of qualifying work in

the qualifying period, the nature of semes-

ter-based work means that there may be

a substantial break between employment

periods, thereby resulting in long term

casual and sessional staff being ineligible

for the Government’s PPL payment.

However, this can be overcome if a

person is able to find employment with

another employer – even in another

industry. As long as the prospective parent

does not have a period greater than eight

weeks without any form of employment,

and meets the qualifying hours test, they

will qualify for the PPL payment.

Another issue to be aware of is the calcu-

lation of qualifying hours. For example, as

the hourly rate of pay for a lecture is struck

on the basis that one hour standing in front

of a class necessarily includes two, three

or four additional hours work required in

preparation and student consultation, we

will need to ensure that the calculation of

hours for the ‘Work Test’ is based on all of

the hours in the academic formula and not

just face to face hours lecturing.

Members are asked to contact the NTEU

should there be any issues of concern re-

garding eligibility or any questions regard-

ing the calculation of ‘qualifying hours’.

Where to from here?

The campaign to improve paid parental

leave for working families is not over.

NTEU and other unions will continue to

argue for improvements to the scheme.

The Government has announced that a

review will be conducted in 2013 and we

will continue to argue for:

• Changes to the ‘Work Test’ to broaden

the eligibility of casual and sessional

staff.

• A community standard of 26 weeks PPL.

• Employer’s to ‘top up’ the minimum wage

payment to full income replacement.

• Payment of super contributions.

• Accrual of all entitlements during PPL.

• Paid secondary carer’s leave so that

parents can take some time together.

• Providing the right to part-time work

when returning from parental leave.

Over the coming months and during the

introduction of the Scheme in 2011, your Un-

ion is keen to hear about your experiences

and how we can continue to improve the

rights of working parents – through the

Government’s new Scheme and through

our enterprise bargaining negotiations.

NTEU will be producing materials over the coming months explaining the new Scheme. For further advice and information please contact your local NTEU Branch.

CONNECT5

Academic casualisation – a class issue?

A recent study of the experiences of casual academic staff at an Australian university suggests that key elements arising from the increasing casualisation of the Australian academic labour force could ultimately force universities to reverse the casualisation trend. The study, ‘Academic Casualisation in Australia: Class Divisions in the University’ (Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 169-182), argues that elements such as the negative effects on educational quality, the ability to reproduce the academic labour force from a degraded entry-level labour market, and the potential for an increasingly marginalised casual workforce to mobilise industrially with real effect, could bring about improvements to a system in which nearly half of undergraduate teaching is now performed by casual academic staff.

The authors seek to document the “sharp-

ening class divide among academics”

by reporting on interviews with casual

academic staff that examine how the

“divide” is experienced. Three key themes

are examined – job satisfaction and work

intensity; life course and insecurity; and

identity in the workplace.

There are no surprises in the document-

ed experiences of the 25 casual academ-

ics interviewed. Inadequate payment for

marking and for giving student feedback,

highlighting the contradiction between the

hours for which you are paid and the time

that is actually required if you are strongly

committed to your vocation as a teacher;

living in an indefinite state of income and

employment insecurity; the overwhelm-

ing sense that casual academic staff are

‘second class’ employees, the sense of al-

ienation from the workplace compounded

by a lack of sometimes even basic office

facilities.

The authors conclude that “university

casualisation directly relates to issues of

quality, security and collegiality. Casualisa-

tion individualises responsibility for quality

and casuals self-exploit out of a sense of

personal and professional obligation to

students.”

So what of the authors’ main assertions,

that increasing casualisation will ultimately

undermine itself?

Several recent studies and reviews have

highlighted the threats to educational qual-

ity from the casualisation of the academic

labour force, most notably the 2008 Bradley

Review of Higher Education, which affirmed

the need for an increase in public funding

in part to reduce the threat to teaching

quality resulting from casualisation of the

academic workforce.

NTEU lobbied strongly for the Govern-

ment to establish a workforce develop-

ment program as part of the reforms in the

2009 Federal Budget, that would subsidise

universities to create more secure jobs

for newcomers to academia. The Govern-

ment’s response was to acknowledge the

problem, but in the short term left it up

to universities to develop solutions, with

little forthcoming so far other than gains

achieved through enterprise bargaining.

As part of NTEU’s commitment to achiev-

ing improvements for casual academic

staff during the latest enterprise bargain-

ing round, universities are agreeing to

the creation of Early Career Development

Fellowships as a means to more secure

employment. Other gains include separate

payment for marking, an increase in the

casual loading, re-applying limits on the

use of casual and fixed-term staff, and com-

mitments around the provision of resources

and facilities.

The authors acknowledge that discon-

nection from the workplace makes it

difficult to mobilise casual staff industrially

in any major organised way. And there is

the strong disincentive, perceived or real,

resulting from the threat to short-term liveli-

hoods and long-term career prospects.

NTEU’s strategy during the latest bargain-

ing round and into the future is to ‘main-

stream’ the issues facing casual academic

staff and to build support across the whole

membership to win improvements. As the

authors rightly conclude, “A key overarch-

ing issue is the capacity to position casu-

alisation as a threat to the academy as a

whole, and specifically to continuing staff.”

‘Academic Casualisation in Australia: Class Divisions in the University’

Tony Brown, James Goodman and Keiko Yasukawa, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 169-182.

By Michael Evans, National Organiser

6Semester 2, 2010

NTEU Monash Branch publishes Survival Guide for sessional staff

As part of the organising focus at Monash this year, a campaign for Sessional staff has been kicked off. The campaign was officially launched on 25 April with a party and the distribution of the ‘Sessional Survival Guide’ booklet with all the Monash specific materials a sessional could need. We showcased the great im-provements for the staff resulting from the most recent collective agreement and included plenty of ‘need to know’ tips and information.

The party was well publicised and plenty

of new members joined on the night and

stayed around to get to know other ses-

sional staff in the same situation as them-

selves. Needless to say a good time was

had by all!

While new members is fantastic it isn’t

the sole aim of the campaign. A major

goal and focus for the branch is to build a

network amongst sessional staff.

Often sessionals are disconnected and

disenfranchised, they may not know their

colleagues well and the tenuous nature of

their employment makes many fearful of

‘rocking the boat’ by asking questions or

raising concerns.

The sessionals network will connect and

empower sessional staff at Monash and we

have already seen a number of new activ-

ists and delegates emerge and take a role

in their union and their university.

A great spin off has been the interest of

continuing staff in the situation of session-

als, requesting copies of the booklet and

asking how they can ensure sessionals are

treated in an equitable manner. After all

many of our members are the employers

of sessional staff!

We have followed up the success of the

initial launch with a second event where

the Director, Workplace Relations talked to

sessionals about the pay systems and what

to do when that all important bank deposit

doesn’t arrive on time. Educational for all

involved.

We will shortly begin planning the next

steps in building the sessional network and

look forward to continued growth in ses-

sional collegiality and involvement.

by Sarah Myles, Branch Industrial Organiser

NTEU La Trobe Sessional Academic BookletIn May this year, the Union’s La Trobe University Branch published a special booklet for Sessional Academic members.

The booklet sets out the new rights for sessional academic staff that have been ne-

gotiated into the current La Trobe University Collective Agreement, such as separate

payment for marking, increased casual loading, payment for attendance at meetings,

unit and course coordination rates, improved superannuation, job security for casual

researchers, long service leave and much more. Salary scales at La Trobe are also

included.

Members will find information on what the NTEU can do for casual academic staff,

how to get involved with the Union, and how to join up colleagues.

La Trobe members can contact their Branch Office for a copy of the booklet. It is also available in the new NTEU Online Library: www.nteu.org.au/library

SURVIVAL

GUIDESESSIONALSTAFFMONASH

ÔI care aboutquality education, thatÕs why IÕm a unionmember.Õ

CONNECT7

The Third Degree, observing Australian higher education lifeMelbourne’s The Age online features a must-read blog for university staff, Erica Cervini’s The Third Degree. Since June 2009, Erica has been writing on topics as diverse as honorary degrees, overseas students, the fate of the humanities, and the potential of a university ombudsman. Reprinted here is one of her recent entries about university staff casualisation.

To visit the blog, visit http://blogs.theage.com.au/thirddegree

A casual affair11 June 2010

How many budding academics do you know? How many of them have secured a permanent lecturing job? Chances are they are working as casual academics: the second-class citizens in the university pecking order. They never know if they have work from one semester to the next, and some even have to apply for the dole over the long summer break.

Gone are the days when casual work was primarily the reserve

of PhD students who wanted experience in teaching. Now many

academics work for years as casuals and never end up securing

permanent positions.

Many casuals are also being forced to take on increasing re-

sponsibilities such as coordinating subjects, which means they are

doing lectures and supervising other tutors. So, they largely per-

form the job of a permanent lecturer, but only get paid casual rates.

And their numbers are mushrooming. A 2009 report by the Aus-

tralian Council for Educational Research and Melbourne Univer-

sity’s LH Martin Institute shows that between 1989 and 2007, casual

academics increased by almost 125 per cent. As a proportion of all

teaching staff, casual academics increased from 13 per cent in 1989

to 22 per cent in 2007.

The research also shows that a higher proportion of women than

men are employed as casuals.

It’s not surprising, then, that when universities advertise perma-

nent jobs they are swamped with applications. A recently adver-

tised position for a lecturer in geography at Monash University at-

tracted more than 50 applications, while a lecturer in management

at RMIT attracted 80. Third Degree hears that some lecturing jobs

get up to 200 applicants.

The extent of the recruitment crisis for entry-level academics is

also revealed in new Department of Education, Employment and

Workplace Relations statistics. They show how top-heavy universi-

ties are with professors and associate professors.

Between 2008 and 2009 there was a 7.1 per cent increase in the

number of professors and associate professors, compared with

only a 4.8 per cent increase in the number of lecturers. The level

below lecturer, the absolute entry point for academics, fared even

worse: there was only a 2.5 per cent increase.Pho

to T

yso

n Sh

ee

an

8Semester 2, 2010

Some universities are awash with professors. Queensland

University of Technology and the Australian National University

have more professors and associate professors than lecturers. If

there’s money for them, why isn’t there the cash to hire entry-level

academics?

The sad thing is that the tight job market for entry-level academ-

ics is forcing many Australian applicants to apply for academic

positions overseas. One budding academic told Third degree that

he routinely applies for humanities jobs overseas because few are

advertised in Australia.

Yet this is at a time when there is a growing need for academics,

because many older ones will retire soon.

Only a year ago, Third Degree wrote about education depart-

ment statistics that showed how old academics were getting. Ten

years ago, academics aged over 60 were outnumbered by those

aged under 30 by 20 per cent. In 2008, the over 60s outnumbered

the under 30s by more than two to one.

Staff statistics for 2009 show that not much has changed: fewer

younger academics are rising through the ranks to replace the

older ones who will eventually retire.

And the demand for academics will only become more intense.

Remember that the federal government wants universities to enrol

more students so that by 2025, 40 per cent of those aged 25 to 34

will have a bachelor’s degree or better.

The response to teaching these extra students is likely to be

makeshift and short-sighted: hire more casuals and give them

larger classes to teach.

Research by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations

suggests that about half of all university teaching is performed by

casuals. How long before it is the majority?

Links:

deewr.gov.au/HigherEducation/Publications/HEStatistics/Publica-

tions/Pages/Staff.aspx

educationalpolicy.org/pdf/CAP_Australian_briefing_paper.pdf

A casual affair...

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

Want to receive your own copy of Australian Universities’ Review (AUR)?

AUR is published by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) twice a year. NTEU members are entitled to receive a free subscription on an opt-in basis – so you need to let us know. If you are an NTEU member and would like to receive your own copy of AUR, please send us an email at aur@nteu.org.au.

Subscription rates for non-members are available at www.aur.org.au.

If you would like to become a member of NTEU, please contact the local Branch office at your institution, or join online at www.nteu.org.au.

CONNECT9

Member focus

Morgan Rodgers GibsonGriffith University

I began studying in 2006, after taking a gap year

from high school. The experience of banality and

managerial tyranny in the casual and part-time em-

ployment during this gap year strengthened (not that

I wasn’t already convinced) a deep desire to enter into uni and

pursue a career that inspired and interested me. In a world where

at least a third of our adult life is spent working, to resent my voca-

tion would be a terrible waste.

Studying politics and international relations, I was fortunate to

find success as an undergraduate and enter into honours in poli-

tics and government (when I currently find myself). With this came

the promise of more research work and tutoring. It was an exciting

and invigorating time, with the promise of more interaction with

academics and the pursuit of deeper learning experiences. But, as

a cynic like myself would expect, the wage relationship was and is

far from perfect.

There was perhaps a short period in the history of capitalism

when workers felt secure in employment, when they weren’t

concerned every week about putting bread on the table or con-

tinuing in work over the coming months. Those of my generation

have heard stories about ever-increasing casualisation and job

insecurity, for we have known little else. I find myself constantly

worrying about where more research work will come from or

whether I will have tutorials to teach next semester. Perhaps dur-

ing the ‘golden era’ of welfare capitalism (1950s – 1970s) many

workers felt relatively secure in employment.

However, modern capitalism, or neoliberalism, seems to have

driven workers to compete with one another and blame their

fellow worker for their insecurity. We are pushed to compete with

one another in attempts to shore up our financial futures. We are

told that we need to be more productive, work harder and out do

our fellow. We are pushed into increasingly bureaucratised and

disciplined forms of life.

This has signalled to me that solidarity with one’s fellow work-

ers is more important than ever. Workers, particularly those in

my situation as a casual staff member, need to act in solidarity

to realise our true potential and power. From the eight hour day

and other innumerable rights won over the past century or more,

unions have been integral in the battle to improve the situation

of workers. We cannot rely on benevolent politicians or legisla-

tive assemblies to act in our interests – for in whose interests do

they govern? We are only able to rely on one another. It is for this

reason that I have joined and will continue to fight with the NTEU

and other workers and unions in the continued pursuit of better

working conditions and working rights.

For as long as we are involved in a relationship where we

receive a wage for labour, we will always be at the mercy of those

who employ us. It is for this reason that unions will al-

ways have a necessary role to play in capitalist soci-

ety; so workers are able to pursue justice and dignity

and avoid exploitation at the hands of capital.

Morgan Rodgers Gibson is a casual academic in the Department of Politics and Public Policy at Griffith University, and an NTEU member.

get connect online read this magazine as an e-book or pdf @

www.unicasual.com.au

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are y

ou a

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abo

rigi

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you

prev

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an n

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mem

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y

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T WHi

cH in

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curr

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mpl

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bldg

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poSi

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crem

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annu

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ne

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crem

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E.g. l

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4 If

kNoW

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kNoW

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, If kN

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WHa

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our

empl

oym

enT g

roup

?

aca

dem

ic

g

ener

al

o

THer

:

WHa

T iS y

our

empl

oym

enT c

aTeg

ory?

Ful

l Tim

e

par

T Tim

e

WHa

T iS y

our

empl

oym

enT T

erm

?

con

Tinu

ing/

perm

anen

T

Fix

ed Te

rm co

nTra

cT

m

ale

F

emal

e

dire

ct d

ebit

requ

est S

ervic

e agr

eem

ent:

1.

This

is an

agre

emen

t betw

een

you

and

NTEU

. 2.

Und

er th

is Ag

reeme

nt, y

ou a

rrang

e to

have

de

ducte

d fro

m yo

ur ac

coun

t, on

the

15th

day

in

each

calen

dar m

onth

(work

ing da

y), th

e app

ropri-

ate am

ount

of du

es an

d lev

ies, p

ayab

le un

der N

TEU’s

Ru

les, to

NTE

U (th

e deb

it use

r). If

you a

re un

certa

in as

to w

hen t

he de

bit w

ill be

proc

esse

d plea

se co

n-tac

t NTE

U on (

03) 9

254 1

910.

Thes

e arra

ngem

ents

will n

ot ch

ange

, alth

ough

the a

moun

t may

vary

in ac

corda

nce

with

dec

ision

s of

your

electe

d NT

EU

Coun

cils a

nd Co

mmitt

ees.

You

will b

e noti

fied,

in wr

iting,

of an

y cha

nges

at le

ast f

ourte

en (1

4) da

ys

prior

to th

eir im

pleme

ntatio

n. 3

. For

all m

atters

rel

ating

to th

e Dire

ct De

bit ar

range

ments

, inclu

ding

defer

ments

and

altera

tions

, you

will

need

to se

nd

writt

en co

rresp

onde

nce t

o PO

Box 1

323,

Sth M

el-bo

urne V

IC 32

05 an

d allo

w 10

days

for t

he am

end-

ments

to ta

ke ef

fect.

4. Y

ou m

ay st

op an

y Deb

it ite

m or

canc

el a D

DR w

ith NT

EU at

any t

ime i

n writ

-ing

. All c

orres

pond

ence

is to

be ad

dresse

d to N

TEU

Gene

ral Se

cretar

y, PO

Box 1

323,

Sth M

elbou

rne V

IC

3205

. 5.

Shou

ld an

y disp

ute ev

er ari

se b

etwee

n yo

u and

the N

TEU a

bout

your

paym

ents

you s

hould

ad

vise

NTEU

Gen

eral S

ecret

ary in

writ

ing o

r by

email

in th

e firs

t ins

tance

and,

if ne

cessa

ry, N

TEU

will t

ake a

dvice

from

your

finan

cial in

stitut

ion. 6

. It i

s you

r resp

onsib

ility t

o hav

e suff

icien

t clea

r fund

s to

meet

the co

sts of

paym

ent u

nder

this A

greem

ent.

NTEU

, how

ever,

does

not h

ave a

polic

y of re

cove

ring

any p

enalt

y fee

s from

mem

bers

if de

bit it

ems a

re ret

urned

unpa

id by

the l

edge

r fina

ncial

insti

tution

. 7.

Dire

ct de

biting

throu

gh BE

CS is

not a

vaila

ble on

all ty

pes o

f acco

unts;

and

acco

unt d

etails

shou

ld be

chec

ked

again

st a

recen

t stat

emen

t from

your

finan

cial i

nstit

ution

. If u

ncert

ain, c

heck

with

you

r led

ger f

inanc

ial in

stitut

ion b

efore

comp

leting

the

DDR.

8. N

TEU

does

not

use y

our f

inanc

ial re

cords

an

d acco

unt d

etails

for a

ny pu

rpose

exce

pt th

e col-

lectio

n of

union

due

s and

the i

nform

ation

is o

nly

avail

able

to a

small

num

ber o

f NTE

U em

ploye

es.

The d

etails

may

be pr

ovide

d to y

our fi

nanc

ial in

sti-

tution

if a c

laim

was m

ade a

gains

t tha

t insti

tution

of

an al

leged

inco

rrect

or wr

ongfu

l deb

it.Yo

u may

resig

n by w

ritten

notic

e to t

he D

ivisio

n or B

ranch

Secre

tary.

Whe

re yo

u ce

ase t

o be e

ligibl

e to b

ecom

e a m

embe

r, res

ignati

on sh

all ta

ke ef

fect o

n the

date

the n

otice

is re

ceive

d or

on th

e day

spec

ified

in yo

ur no

tice,

which

ever

is lat

er.

In an

y oth

er ca

se, y

ou m

ust g

ive at

leas

t two

wee

ks no

tice.

Mem

bers

are re

quire

d to p

ay du

es an

d lev

ies as

set b

y the

Unio

n from

time t

o tim

e in

acco

rdanc

e with

NTE

U rul

es. F

urth

er inf

ormati

on on

finan

cial o

bliga

tions

, inclu

ding a

copy

of th

e rule

s, is a

vaila

ble fro

m yo

ur Br

anch

.

‡ass

ociat

ed b

odies

: NTE

U (N

SW);

Unive

rsity

of Qu

eens

land

Acad

emic

Staff

Asso

ciatio

n (U

nion

of Em

ploye

es)

at Un

iversi

ty of

Quee

nslan

d; Un

ion o

f Au

strali

an Co

llege

Aca

demi

cs (W

A Br

anch

) Ind

ustri

al Un

ion of

Work

ers at

Edith

Cowa

n Un

iversi

ty &

Curti

n Un

iversi

ty; C

urtin

Univ

ersity

Staf

f Asso

ciatio

n (In

c.)

at Cu

rtin

Unive

rsity;

Staff

Asso

ciatio

n of

Edith

Cowa

n Un

iversi

ty (In

c.) at

Edith

Cowa

n Univ

ersity

.

The i

nform

ation

on th

is form

is ne

eded

for a

numb

er of

areas

of N

TEU’s

work

and w

ill be

treate

d as c

onfid

entia

l.

Plea

se co

mpl

ete y

our p

erso

nal d

etai

ls...

NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION UNION – MEMBERSHIP FORM...

and c

hoos

e ONE

of th

e fol

low

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aym

ent o

ptio

ns

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aTur

eda

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card

card

num

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pl

eaSe

acce

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mon

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cred

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maS

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nam

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card

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mou

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card

num

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exp

iry

— —

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expi

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—

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plea

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r Fe

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and

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ropr

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box

:

Estim

atEd

sala

ry ra

ngE

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onth

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$10,

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nder

$27

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$55

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001 –

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000

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38.5

0

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over

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000

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55

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110

pay b

y cHe

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mon

ey o

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cred

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YOUR

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daTe

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IT CA

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on

THe 1

6TH

oF TH

e mon

TH o

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lloW

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day

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CASU

AL/S

ESSI

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STAF

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pay b

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que,

mon

ey o

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cred

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DIR

ECT D

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pro

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Foll

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PAYR

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EDUC

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AUTH

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card

Type

:

maS

Terc

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viS

a

paym

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m

onTH

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uarT

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Hal

F-ye

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ann

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ann

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the

Natio

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on U

nion

(NTE

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PCA

User

ID No

.0626

04 to

arran

ge fo

r fund

s to b

e deb

ited f

rom m

y/ou

r acco

unt a

t the

finan

cial in

stitut

ion id

entifi

ed b

elow

and

in ac

corda

nce w

ith th

e term

s de

scribe

d in t

he Di

rect D

ebit R

eque

st (D

DR) S

ervice

Agree

ment.

or its

duly

auth

orise

d serv

ants

and a

gents

to de

duct

from

my sa

lary b

y reg

ular in

stalm

ents,

dues

and

levies

(as d

eterm

ined f

rom tim

e to t

ime b

y the

Unio

n), to

NTE

U or

its au

thori

sed a

gents

. All p

ayme

nts

on m

y beh

alf an

d in a

ccorda

nce w

ith th

is au

thori

ty sh

all be

deem

ed to

be

paym

ents

by m

e pers

onall

y. This

auth

ority

shall

rema

in in

force

until

revok

ed by

me i

n writ

ing. I

also c

onse

nt to

my em

ploye

r sup

plying

NTEU

wi

th up

dated

infor

matio

n rela

ting t

o my e

mploy

ment

status

.

I here

by au

thori

se th

e Merc

hant

to de

bit m

y Card

acco

unt w

ith th

e amo

unt a

nd at

inter

vals

spec

ified

abov

e and

in th

e eve

nt of

any c

hang

e in

the c

harge

s for

thes

e goo

ds/se

rvice

s to

alter

the a

moun

t fro

m th

e app

ropria

te da

te in

acco

rdanc

e with

such

chan

ge. T

his au

thori

ty sh

all st

and,

in res

pect

of th

e ab

ove

spec

ified

Card

and

in res

pect

of an

y Card

issu

ed to

me

in ren

ewal

or rep

lacem

ent t

hereo

f, unti

l I no

tify th

e Merc

hant

in wr

iting

of its

canc

ellati

on. S

tandin

g Au

thori

ty for

Rec

urren

t Peri

odic

Paym

ent

by Cr

edit C

ard.

Plea

se po

st or

fax t

his f

orm

to N

TEU

Natio

nal O

ffice

P

lEAS

E USE

MY h

OME A

DDRE

SS FO

R All

MAI

lING

hRS P

ER W

K

DATE

OF E

xPIRY

rEcr

UITE

d BY

:

Fees

for t

his b

ranc

h =1%

of gr

oss a

nnua

l sal

ary

Descr

iption

of go

ods/s

ervice

s: NTE

U Mem

bersh

ip Du

es.

To: N

TEU,

PO Bo

x 132

3, So

uth M

elbou

rne VI

C 320

5

Offic

e use

only:

Mem

bersh

ip no

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Offic

e use

only:

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salar

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S

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dem

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(03)

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