National Tertiary Education Union

Last updated

National Tertiary Education Union
National Tertiary Education Industry Union
Founded1993
Headquarters Melbourne, Victoria
Location
MembersDecrease2.svg 27,307 (as at 31 December 2023) [1]
Key people
Dr Alison Barnes (National President)
Associate Professor Damien Cahill (General Secretary)
Gabe Gooding (National Assistant Secretary)
Affiliations ACTU, EI
Website www.nteu.au

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is an Australian trade union for all higher education and university employees. It is an industry union, and the only union working exclusively in the Australian university sector.

Contents

NTEU workers protest Howard's IR reforms 20051115 Australia NSW Sydney IRProtest NTEU.jpg
NTEU workers protest Howard's IR reforms

Overview

The NTEU is a specialist national union solely representing staff in tertiary education. In all Australian universities, the NTEU represents professional staff, academic staff, research staff, general staff, ELICOS teachers, and staff of Student Unions and university companies. In Victoria, the NTEU also represents TAFE general staff and all staff in Adult Education.

The NTEU was formed out of previous tertiary education staff associations, principally the Federation of University Staff Associations and the Federation of College Academics. It is generally considered to be more towards the left of the union movement, and has a high focus on self-directed membership branches and the organising model of unionism. The NTEU often engages in organising campaigns to build its membership density.

The NTEU is not affiliated with any Australian political party.

Campaigns

Our Universities Matter is a major national campaign being run by the NTEU, launched in 2008. [2]

The campaign seeks to:

Academic Freedom Watch is a site established to promote academic freedom in Australia's universities. Created by the Victorian Division, the site includes debates and articles written by high-profile academics in this area. [3]

Our TAFEs Matter is the campaign to promote Victoria's TAFE system, which is being undermined by changes in funding systems by the Victorian Government. The changes would introduce a HECS-style loan scheme, more than double student fees and reduce public TAFE funding certainty. [4] During 2019 and 2020 members at the University of Melbourne formed a casuals network. This ran campaigns against underpayment which culminated in the university repaying $45 million in wages to current and former staff. [5]

Sentry

Introduction

Sentry is the NTEU's online magazine for all members during the pandemic. It is published monthly between issues of Advocate. It contains updates on campaigns and policy work, member stories and information from member experts. [6]

Publications

The NTEU publishes:

References