Unions to put public education back on map

Sharan Burrow says: “Get out there.”

by Kerri Carr

Unions will fight as a movement to ensure public education does not become a residual system, ACTU president Sharan Burrow told Annual Conference.

"At the ACTU Congress last year I was never prouder than to see the unions stand together and say public education will not become residual and we will fight as a union movement, not just an education movement but a union movement, to put public schools back on the map, to make federal governments responsible for national public education funding," Ms Burrow said.

"We know that without that funding you can't fund public schools properly. You can't do anything about critical disadvantage or class sizes, you can't do anything about TAFE or, indeed, early childhood, or reduce the unfair burden of fees in universities."

Ms Burrow said the ACTU's view for Australia was much different than the Howard Government.

"Since 1981 we've doubled our GDP...and what have we done with it? Have we actually funded the essential services that Australia has built, that sense of egalitarianism, that sense of opportunity? No indeed," Ms Burrow said.

Ms Burrow said the ACTU's vision was "services first".

"Services first because that's the best opportunity that working Australia and their children have. Services first because without services our ageing parents don't get a dignified deal in terms of their retirement or their old age and aged care. Services first because public hospitals, public schools, TAFE colleges, universities, child care -- they matter!"

Ms Burrow said Australia was "at a point in our history where, quite frankly, if we don't turf out the Howard Government then the Australia we know and aspire to create ... is dead".

"We've got to get the vote out against the Howard Government and if we don't do it, if we don't see Labor elected with a decent Senate that actually keeps the policies in place in a way that changes Australia back at least towards the trends of that decent egalitarian society then, I tell you, I fear for our children's future because I think we've got a country on our hands right now that is sicker than we understand," Ms Burrows said.

Ms Burrow urged teachers to "get out there" in the union membership.

"The only way to do something about it is to ring your members, to talk to your members, despite the fact that it's fantastic and I commend you; no amount of national or State campaigning will do it alone," she said.

"You have to ring your members, talk to them, talk about the issues, make sure they feel as passionately as you do and get them out to vote against the Howard Government.

"Let's see a turn around, let's at least get a Government mix where we can get in the door and start to kick some goals instead of watching Australia slide through our fingers."

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005