A$1.5bn with strings brings Australians out on streets

Thousands of Australian academic staff stopped work and held rallies last week in protest against federal Government plans to impose industrial relations changes on their sector.

Eight unions with nearly 100,000 members in post-secondary institutions supported the day of protest. Under the Government's plans, A$1.5 billion (£621 million) in federal funding will be tied to universities and colleges agreeing to new conditions.

These include institutions offering staff individual contracts known as Australian Workplace Agreements that would allow employers to offer inferior conditions and to hire more casuals.

University staff work under awards negotiated every three years between individual institutions and unions. The awards cover matters such as salary, hours of employment, leave entitlements, superannuation and the handling of misconduct cases.

Under the Government's plans, many universities would have four months to negotiate with staff agreements that comply with the new conditions - or face losing millions of dollars.

In Parliament on the day of action, Brendan Nelson, the Education Minister, refused to give assurances that the reforms would not affect staff conditions.

Carolyn Allport, president of the National Tertiary Education Union, said the changes would undermine wages and conditions and leave university and technical college staff with fewer rights.