24 October, 2012
IN THIS ISSUE
- Fair Shares Staff and Student Forum: Budget Monster Strikes Again
- National Office Media Release: $1 Billion Cuts to Higher Education
- Colleagues at UQ: Celebrate the End of Semester
- Solidarity Concert: Voices for Victory
- Brisbane Labour History Symposium: Back to the Future…
FAIR SHARES Staff and Student Forum
Budget Monster Strikes Again:
Tales of Disappearing Funding
Wednesday 31 October 12 noon – 2 pm
Room 212 Goddard Building (8) St Lucia
The draft UQ budget is taking even more funding from Faculties and Schools into central administration. For example in Schools in the Arts Faculty, for every dollar brought in by HECS or Commonwealth Funding, only ONE in THREE ends up in the Schools.
The forum will discuss how we can resist the ever-decreasing share of funding for teaching, which once upon a time was a core university function.
NTEU National Office Media Release$1 Billion Cuts to Higher Education Are Short-sighted
The more than $1 billion in cuts to university funding and student income support measures announced today by Treasurer Wayne Swan as part of the 2012 Mid-Year Economic and Financial Outlook (MYEFO) are difficult to justify and are short-sighted and unsustainable, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said today.
The cuts include the abolition of University Facilitation funding (saving $270m) and reductions to the Sustainable Research Excellence (SRE) ($500m) as well as savings in relation to student income support and scholarships ($250m).
“While our members will be relieved by the lifting of the pause on ARC grants, they will be disappointed by the Government’s other announced savings in relation to universities and student income support,” NTEU National President Jeannie Rea said.
“Today’s cuts are short-sighted because while a reduced investment in university and student income support measures might help the government achieve its short term fiscal objectives of a surplus budget, it ignores the longer economic and social benefits of investing in higher education.”
Read more here.
Celebrate the End of Semester
Saint Lucy caffé e cucina (Next to the UQ Tennis Courts)
FRIDAY 26 October – from 5pm
with musical entertainment from 5.30pm
WHO ARE “COLLEAGUES AT UQ”?
UQ staff endeavouring to replace the social vacuum left by the University of Queensland Club closure.
Please RSVP for catering purposes to colleaguesatuq
OR on Facebook: facebook.com/colleaguesatuq
Solidarity Concert — Voices for Victory:
A Benefit Concert for Workers at the Queensland Children’s Hospital Site
Combined Unions’ Choir / Mark Cryle / 3 Miles From Texas / Phil Monsour / Jumping Fences
Saturday 27 October 7:00 pm
(BBQ from 5.30 p.m.)
Serbian Hall, 243-7 Vulture St, South Brisbane (opposite South Bank Railway Station)
On 2 October 2012 one of the longest and most important construction industry strikes in living memory ended in victory for the workers at the Queensland Children’s Hospital site. Many of the workers and their families continue to suffer financial hardship as a result of their involvement in this dispute. The concert is being organised by the Trade Union Defence Committee, a community organisation formed to assist these and other workers in struggle. All proceeds from the benefit concert will go directly to the QCH workers in need.
Contact: Ian 0407687016; iancurr
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The Queensland Labour Movement under Conservative Governments
Saturday, 27 October9.15 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
West End Club, 2 Vulture St, South Brisbane
Admission free / Lunch and beverages available for purchase
The recent election of the Newman LNP Government with its accompanying repressive measures against Queensland workers has revived memories of former Country/National Party Governments and their relationship with the labour movement. The symposium will examine this relationship from a historic and contemporary perspective.
For more information, including the program, click here.
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NTEU Contacts at UQBranch President: Andrew Bonnell (a.bonnell)
Branch Organiser: Lachlan Hurse (lhurse) Tel: 33652538
Industrial Officer: Michael McNally (mmcnally) Tel: 3362 8222
NTEU UQ website: http://www.nteu.org.au/uq
Branch Office: Room 412, Seddon Building (82D), St Lucia Campus (
Authorised by Andrew Bonnell, President NTEU UQ Branch