Dr Nelson and the Bromides in Defence of the Liberal Government's Australian Workplace Relations Reforms. (June 27, 2005)

    Last Thursday the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Brendan Nelson, introduced into Federal Parliament the government's legislation to revise industrial relations at Australia's tertiary educational institutions. In short new individual Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) will have to be offered to staff in order to meet conditions placed on federal government funding to obtain full access to it. Part of legislation relates to the scraping of compulsory contributions by university students to student unions.

Dr Nelson is of course only following orders by his Prime Minister, John Howard, and it would be a mistake to assume that the minister has a significant say other than in the technical specifications in framing the legislation. Nevertheless it is interesting in how Mr Howard's ambitious cabinet member chose a host of banalities to defend the legislation.

If Australia is to remain internationally competitive in the provision of higher education, it needs to promote the sustainability of its universities by enabling them to attract, retain and reward the very best people.

 

The higher education sector is not immune from the pressure to adapt, reform and become more productive.

 

Universities need to be able to respond flexibly to the needs of their constituencies including potential and existing students, staff, employers, industry, local and regional and national communities.

 

The requirements ... will promote freedom of choice of representation.

 

It is the right of all employees to choose to belong or not to belong to a union, without discrimination for their choice.

 

The reforms will also assist institutions to encourage individual and organisation performance, including rewarding high performing individuals, efficiently managing underperformance and strengthening management and leadership capability.

Meanwhile the Federal Government's real support for higher education and R&D continues to be deliberately diminished by Mr Howard's doctrinaire approach, reminiscent of Thatcherism.