BY MICHELLE BREAR
& FEDERICO FUENTES
SYDNEY — Staff members and students from University of Western Sydney picketed all seven UWS campuses on November 9 in protest at the proposed restructuring of the university. The strike was the second held in November.
Members of the National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEU) and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) were angry at the university administration's failure to consult staff and students over its rationalisation plans. Staff are concerned that the restructure will lead to job losses of up to 30% and a reduction in the quality of education provided at UWS.
Staff are concerned at the administration's plan for subject "harmonisation". This will mean that any two subjects which are deemed to have 30% of the same content will be homogenised into one.
Staff are also demanding that pay rises be backdated to October, that there is no forced retrenchments, no forced demotions for general staff, no forced relocation to other campuses and no contracting or corporatisation of current university services.
Staff and students attended a rally at Frogmore House, Werrington North Nepean campus. Staff and students from all UWS campuses heard representatives from the NTEU, CPSU and student unions. A delegation met with Janice Reid, UWS vice-chancellor. The delegation reported that they were not convinced that anything would be done to ensure job security and quality education and that further action would be necessary, such as the withholding of end-of-year examination results.
With the exception of the Hawkesbury Student Association, which has taken a "neutral" position on the restructure, all UWS student associations are supporting staff in their fight. Speak-outs have been organised by the UWS Bankstown Student Association. The students' associations need to build support among students for the next stage in the staff's campaign, the withholding of examination results.