TAFE teachers to stop work over fee increases

By Diane Hague

Teachers at several TAFE campuses have taken stopwork action or resolved to take stopwork action to protest fee increases and new charges being imposed by the Iemma Government on TAFE students.

Wollongong TAFE teachers will stop work on October 31, Cooma and Ultimo teachers on November 1, Griffith on November 5, Bega and Moruya on November 6 and Ulladulla on November 8 unless the Iemma Government removes the $50 fee that will be imposed on low income students, makes HSC and equivalent courses fee-free, and reduces the 9 per cent fee increases proposed for TAFE courses.

Nowra and Leeton TAFE teachers will meet on October 30 to set a date for stopwork action if the matter is not resolved.

TAFE teachers are taking this action on behalf of their students because they are angry that fee increases will hurt disadvantaged students and have a negative impact on enrolments. Massive fee increases imposed by the Carr Government in 2004 led to a decline in student enrolments, particularly in rural and regional areas.

Communities in rural and regional areas are doing it tough in times of apparent economic prosperity elsewhere. Teachers in Cooma and Bega are concerned that fee increases will be a disincentive to families that are already struggling.

In Gilmore, median household income according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 census data is $729 per week, compared to the average Australian median household income of $1027 per week. Many communities in the vicinity of Nowra and Ulladulla have some of the lowest household incomes in Australia.

While average unemployment across Australia is around 4 per cent, in the Illawarra it is around 8 per cent. Youth unemployment across the south coast is much higher.

The State Government should remove the $50 charge that will be imposed upon all low income students from January 2008 and make HSC and equivalent courses fee-free. The Government should also reconsider and reduce the 9 per cent fee increase proposed for all TAFE fees from January 2008.

Diane Hague is the Administration Officer (Media and Communications).

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