Unions and students plan August 1 action

By Emma Webb

ADELAIDE — The South Australian Education Network (SAEN), the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union (NTEU), the Public Service Association (PSA) and other unions have united to organise a worker and student mass meeting and rally on August 1.

The NTEU national executive had called another national day of action on August 1 as part of the campaign against education cuts and for wage justice for academics. The SAEN approached the NTEU and the PSA, which covers non-academic university workers, to organise a joint action.

With a number of vice-chancellors breaking from the broad education alliance by supporting HECS increases and up-front fees, student and union activists aim to use August 1 to strengthen the alliance between students and workers. The SA state secretary of the NTEU has made it clear that the union will not sell out students' demands for no cuts, no fees and no HECS.

On June 13, Stephen Miller, who was charged with "failing to cease loitering" at the May 30 NTEU rally, appeared in court. Miller was originally summoned to appear on June 14. However the court's attempt to prevent a protest action outside Miller's hearing did not succeed. Around 30 students turned out at short notice to protest against the police harassment of students at the May 30 rally.

From GLW issue 235