Some 2500 students rallied and marched in opposition to the Victorian government's Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) legislation on March 28. The rally was part of a national day of action demanding student control of student affairs. Victoria and WA are the only states whose governments' have introduced anti-student union legislation, however all student unions may face it under a Howard federal government.
Maurice Sibelle and Gerard Bibby report that, under the guise of freedom of choice (voluntary membership), the Victorian VSU legislation prohibits the use of compulsory non-academic fees for so-called "political" purposes. Student money is not allowed to be spent on newspapers, election to student union bodies or political campaigns (against attacks on education, for example). College and university administrations have used the opportunity to withhold student union funds in an effort to silence opposition.
The Melbourne rally was organised by the Student Unionism Network in conjunction with the National Union of Students (NUS) and the Victorian TAFE Students and Apprentices Network. Around 1000 people marched from Melbourne University and students attended from campuses around the state. TAFE students were well represented with a lively contingent from Peninsula Institute, which won back its student union after it was closed down in mid-1995.
The rally heard Adam Bandt from the La Trobe University Defence Committee speak about the use of police repression to stop students being heard. The 1995 editors of Rabelais, the La Trobe student newspaper, have been charged with inciting people to commit an illegal act through publication of the article "The art of shoplifting". Bandt described how this was a selective use of the law, pointing out that other publications had published similar articles without police action.
Speakers also included NUS national Women's Officer Sarah Lance; Nigel Peacock, an arrested student from La Trobe; Leigh Hubbard from the Victorian Trades Hall Council; Felicity Martin from Melbourne University Student Union and the president of TAFE Peninsula Institute Student Union.
The energetic demonstration showed that students oppose anti-democratic government intervention in student affairs. Later that evening, 200 students attended a benefit gig for the La Trobe Students' Defence Committee.
Student occupation at Campbelltown
Simon Frew reports that more than 400 students from across NSW rallied at the University of Western Sydney (MacArthur campus) in Campbelltown demanding student control of student affairs and no up-front fees.
The rally was held at UWS because the Vice Chancellor, David Barr, has taken control of the distribution of students funds there.
The students marched to the front of the administration block and on to the law faculty where more than 300 students climbed in windows and fought their way past security guards to enter the building and stage a sit-in.
The occupying students put a list of demands to the vice-chancellor, asking him to answer, in person, to the crowd. Barr agreed to speak to a "small" group of student representatives, but the students insisted that he address the whole sit-in.
Flanked by police and security guards, Barr spoke to the sit-in which demanded that he return the money to the student organisations immediately. Barr eventually agreed to return the money, but only after ironing out "some details".
Rachel Wilson, president of the Student Representative Council at the UWS, said she was "not happy with the indirect result". "The uni continues to be paternalistic, the fight is not over", she said.
Wollongong University Resistance club member Tony Iltis said "VSU is a signal that the new Liberal government plans to continue and increase the attacks on tertiary education that we experienced under the ALP. If SRCs fight these things, students will see the need for student unionism and fight to defend it".
Brisbane students arrested
Bella Stafford reports that more than 100 students travelled for three hours from Southern Cross University in Lismore to attend the rally in Brisbane.
Around 200 students participated in the rally which began in King George Square with speakers from the National Tertiary Education Union, the Community and Public Sector Union and NUS, as well as Cynthia Kennedy, the women's equal opportunity vice-president from the University of Queensland, and Graham Campbell from Southern Cross University.
The rally marched to Parliament House where an open microphone was held and a petition was presented to state Labor opposition leader Peter Beatie.
Resistance member Conrad Barrett said, "While it's the Liberals' attacks on education that we have to fight now, we cannot rely on the Labor party to do it. We have to begin to rebuild an independent student movement that will be able to fight the attacks on our student organisations and win back free education."
Five students were arrested at the demonstration for "assaulting police". Another action on the day of the court hearing is now being planned to defend these students.
The Free Education Network meetings are held on Tuesdays at 6pm in Rm 4, Level 5, QCM Building, QUT Gardens Point Campus.
'Flannies', sausage sizzles and postcards
Students at Tasmania University in Hobart and Launceston took part in a "flanny day of action" where students were asked to wear their favourite flannelette shirts to uni to show their support for student unions.
At Adelaide University students took part in a clubs and societies fair day and a free sausage sizzle, put on by the student union. Adelaide Resistance organiser Emma Webb commented: "Many students at Adelaide University were angry and disappointed that no demonstration was held which could make political demands in defence of student unions. Letters to the student paper questioned how eating a sausage would stop the Howard government from destroying student unions."
Flinders University students collected postcards demanding student control of student affairs and presented them to the South Australian education minister.
In WA, students attended union general meetings on campus where they passed motions in support of universal membership of student organisations.