Pay campaign for university workers launched

By Nick Soudakoff CANBERRA — At a combined mass meeting on January 16, 1000 workers from the Australian National University, the University of Canberra and the Australian Defence Force Academy decided to launch a campaign for a 5.6% pay increase for Australian university workers. This was followed a 400-strong march to the offices of ACT Senator Bob McMullan and the Department of Education, Employment and Training. The angry mood of the protesters was reflected by their placards: "ALP pay us or piss off!" and "McMullan will pay". McMullan, a member of the federal cabinet, is contesting the seat of Canberra in the federal elections. After six weeks of industrial action last year, federal employment minister Simon Crean agreed to a 5.6% pay increase, fully funded by government. Later, however, cabinet proposed instead a loan to universities to pay for the increase. This is despite federal funding cutbacks of 1.2% per year over the last eight years which have increased staff workloads. Student-teacher ratios increased from 11:1 in 1982 to 16:1 in 1991 — one of the worst figures in the developed world. The combined mass meeting, march and rally were organised by the National Tertiary Education Industry Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Australian Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, the Health Services Unions and the Community and Public Sector Union. These unions are also helping to organise a national day of action outside Parliament House on January 22. In the face of an ongoing campaign, the ALP is attempting to minimise the political fallout. Federal MP John Langmore, a high profile left Labor member, has promised to lobby federal treasurer Ralph Willis. Democratic Socialist Sue Bull, who will contest the seat of Canberra against McMullan, told Green Left Weekly, "Langmore's attempt to win credit for trying to stop the attacks of his own party is little more than a stunt. "The federal Labor government must fully fund university workers' pay increases. Workers are sick of the ongoing cutbacks in public services, conditions and pay, while private industry is massively subsidised through tax breaks and other rorts. The Democratic Socialists are committed to the principle of free and fully funded education, as well as the rights of workers to a fair wage."