The activist Special Interest Group model within the structure of the union has resulted in significant gains for casual workers in the NSW TAFE system. It is a model TAFE workers in other states must consider.
workers
Organising the Unorganised
Australia has one of the highest rates of part-time and casual work in the world, and three-quarters of part-time and casual workers are women. Casualisation is growing sharply. Two years ago, one in five workers was part-time or casual. Now it is one in four.
Teamster reform movement sabotaged by reliance on Big Brother and ties to Democratic Party
The Carey affair again exposes the Achilles heel of the U.S. labour movement – its class-collaborationists, co-dependent relationship with the Democratic Party.
“My work life became unbearable!”
In 1982 Karen Sellenger began teaching humanities in a technical school. She taught full-time in Melbourne’s northern suburbs until she took a “voluntary” redundancy package (VDP) in April 1993. I… Read more »
“You have to be very assertive to get assistance!”
Nasrin Aidvandi, who was born in Iran, is studying Computing Information Technology at the Monash University, Caulfield Campus. “Although I intend to study full-time this year, I may find that,… Read more »
“Job Satisfaction, It’s A Joke!”
Paula Pope is a sole parent who works as a sessional teacher. She teaches in the Associate Diploma of Community Development at Broadmeadows TAFE. “I get paid $23 per hour,… Read more »
“Get yourself a sponsor and become a BHP Kinder!”
Peter Yates is an unemployed social worker who became “redundant” in 1992 as a result of a job-slashing program. In 1993, he was President of the voluntary parent management committee,which… Read more »
“When a school closes, it can kill a community”
Susan Garrett is a TAFE student who lives in the small Gippsland town of Meeniyan. Her daughter, Liz, has just completed grade 6 at Meeniyan Primary School. “I’ve lived here… Read more »
“My life is mortgaged to the university”
Wendy Harper is a 22-year-old working class student from The Basin, who is studying first year humanities at Latrobe University. “One of the impacts of the education cuts is day… Read more »
The Co-option Game: Enterprise Bargaining to Extend Bosses’ Plunder
The Federal ALP introduced enterprise bargaining in 1991 to replace the pre-existing centralised “wage fixing” system. No longer do workers get regular wage adjustments. Instead, the only way of getting so-called wage “increases” is by “bargaining” with the boss. With the deck stacked against us.
