TAFE has strong support within the union movement as the preferred provider of vocational education. Trade unions appreciate the breadth of education provided by TAFE, including industrial issues encountered in the workplace and the fact that TAFE provides opportunities for apprentices to learn about and join their union.
The Australian Services Union NSW & ACT Branch has launched a report by The Australia Institute A Portable Training Entitlement System for the Disability Support Sector; that outlines a new approach to training as a part of the union’s NDIS — Making it the best it can be campaign.
The report makes it clear the public provider, TAFE, should be the provider of this training and Federation Officers were present as invited guests at the launch.
On May Day, ACTU Secretary Sally McManus met with teachers and students at Ultimo TAFE, as well as representatives from other unions who are encouraging everyone to join their union and join the fight to Change the Rules.
Young people present at the meeting were particularly aghast at the unfair disparity between the tax paid by big business and the average worker.
Federation continues to support the national Change the Rules campaign, one aspect of which is to change the nation’s broken industrial relations rules. These broken rules are directly affecting the work of TAFE teachers.
The rules are broken in favour of big business and the ultra-rich, and unions are fighting to return the concept of fairness to Australian workplace laws.
Unions NSW Secretary Mark Morey reminded the audience that an increasing number of people don’t even understand what a union is, or what they do, and that it’s important for members in every workplace to talk to their colleagues and make sure they know which union covers their workplace.
TAFE students appreciated the opportunity to discuss workplace industrial issues with knowledgeable representatives from their trade unions and particularly appreciated the 70 free pizzas they demolished in the space of 10 minutes.