National Cabinet has asked for the States to develop a “national framework to enable students to return to school on day one of term one, and for schools to stay open with consistent requirements across all jurisdictions to be in place prior to the first day of the first term of school.” A Federal Government source has told Nine newspapers that “we’re willing to go hardline on this. We want schools to stay open, to make sure classes don’t shut down if there’s one case there.” Meanwhile, the views of school children and parents are being ignored. Many parents are eager to get their kids back to school, and we all understand the need to provide a stable learning environment for students after two years of interruptions. But other parents remain deeply concerned about putting their children’s health at risk - before they can be vaccinated and while the virus is spreading at an alarming rate. This is particularly concerning for children with chronic health conditions, and for parents who have underlying health issues and have spent two years avoiding high-risk environments. Earlier this year the Prime Minister said individuals should take “personal responsibility” for avoiding COVID-19, but by taking a “hardline” stance on schools the Prime Minister is denying families the opportunity to make sensible and informed decisions about their own safety. The ‘back to school’ framework must give parents the flexibility to keep their kids at home until children are vaccinated or until the omicron surge has passed. That could involve either a delay to the start of school, or access to flexible/home learning options.

Essential workers have continued to turn up to work throughout the pandemic. Already there have been over 700 public servants and disability workers infected with COVID-19 at work with disability workers also infected. Already we have seen PSA members in Disability group homes, Juvenile Justice, NSW Prisons, Private Prisons, transport, and now we are experiencing 100s of school closures and exposures. From the start of the pandemic there has been presumptive legislation to support essential workers when they get COVID with workers compensation, without the impossible task of having to prove you got it at work. This protects the following workers: -public health employees, -disability facilities, -educational institutions, including pre-schools, schools and tertiary institutions -police and emergency services -transport services, -libraries, -courts and tribunals, -correctional centres and detention centres, -places of public entertainment or instruction (including, museums, galleries, cultural institutions and casinos), The government has introduced a Bill to repeal these laws, which will mean that if you get COVID at work, you have to prove that you got it at work. The NSW Government has said that this change may take over $600 million out of the hands of injured workers and cut 75% of these claims. These cuts passed the lower house in November with all the Government members. The Bill has been referred to the Upper House Committee where it is likely to be voted on in February.

1. MAJOR STUDENT WELLBEING CUTS AT MACQUARIE Macquarie University management are moving to further cut Student Wellbeing services at Macquarie University (with numerous positions being axed and/or downgraded - roles such as Psychologists, Disability Liaison Officers, Accessibility Officers, Student Wellbeing Advisors, Student Advocates, Inappropriate / Unwanted Behaviour Officer, and administrative staff). These latest cuts are on top of extensive job losses to Student Wellbeing services which management implemented in late 2020, with nine positions cut, and numerous essential vacant positions unfilled by the University. 2. THREAT TO COMPLIANCE Student Wellbeing services at Macquarie University are woefully understaffed, and the lack of resources threatens compliance with the Disability Standards for Education and Higher Education Threshold Standards. Proposed resourcing is well below established standards according to the Counselling Standards published by ANZSSA. 3. TWO PERMANENT PSYCHOLOGISTS FOR 45,000 STUDENTS Management is seeking to resource only two (2) permanent Psychologists for a University that has approximately 45,000 domestic and international students, this is severely inadequate. 4. CUTS TO SEXUAL ASSAULT SUPPORT Resources are being cut for the vital ‘Respect. Now. Always.’ service which is designed to prevent and respond to sexual assault matters, discrimination, harassment and bullying. 5. STUDENT NEEDS ARE INCREASING The number of students self-reporting a health condition has increased year on year since 2019, and staff are already struggling to keep up with student demand for wellbeing supports. 6. LOWEST IN SECTOR While other Universities are investing in student wellbeing, Macquarie University’s cuts will see students receiving some of the lowest levels of support in the sector. 7. STAFF AND STUDENTS OPPOSE THESE CHANGES These cuts highlight a critical need to strengthen the Enterprise Agreement provisions for professional staff at Macquarie University. The University is proceeding with harmful restructuring despite widespread and extensive feedback from staff and students opposing the attack on Student Wellbeing. For More Information: * Dec 2021 - Staffing cuts are out of touch with the “Australian Disability Strategy 2021-2031” committed to by the Prime-Minister and Premier of NSW on 3 December 2021, including Policy Priority 3 “Improve pathways and accessibility to further education and training for people with disability” - https://www.disabilitygateway.gov.au/document/3106 * 15 Nov 2021 - "NTEU Response to PST Change Proposals: Student Services and Faculty Professional Services" provides a detailed overview of the proposed cuts to staffing at Macquarie University (including for Student Wellbeing). https://www.nteu.org.au/library/download/id/11356 * Nov 2021 – University of Melbourne paper: "Alleviating the human cost of COVID-19 in Australian universities" highlights the need “to increasingly focus on wellbeing, support, inclusion and trust for both staff and students; this will be a key ingredient to a vibrant and healthy higher education system.” https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/3962831/human-cost-of-covid-in-aus-unis.pdf

How can the senior executive claim they want a fair and “collaborative” approach to bargaining when they have withdrawn their support of the NTEU at such a crucial time? How is it appropriate to finance management’s negotiating team with University funds, while cutting support from the NTEU during bargaining?

It is crucial we fight against these course cuts to maintain crucial academics and prevent further cuts to our education. We’ve seen that cuts can be stopped to Italian and other courses if we fight back. These cuts not only affect flinders staff and students but the broader community. Sign this petition and share it far and wide

Within the last 18 months, teachers in NSW have had to monumentally shift how they approach their practice, with COVID leading to a change in how their work is done. This is why the consideration of the Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill is most deprofessionalising for school staff across NSW. Fundamentally, this Bill is an attack on the professionalism and deep knowledge and skills possessed by NSW teachers and support staff, and is a distraction from the key work of teaching and learning undertaken in NSW.

All people should be treated equally wherever they work, study or access goods and services, regardless of who they are or who they love. But Victorian laws currently allow faith-based organisations to refuse service to someone based on their sexual orientation or because they are transgender, and allow religious schools to dismiss or expel LGBTQ+ students, staff and teachers. People can also be discriminated against based on their marital or parental status. The Victorian government has announced it will be changing these laws this year and we know the conservative Christian lobby will fight to have the proposal watered down. We must come together in our thousands to show our community supports the changes, and to ensure the strongest possible reform. Will you sign our petition today?

As university teachers and support persons, casuals represent and maintain the reputation of the university, as it is casuals who interact with students in the classroom and in providing support services every day.

Australia needs to be vaccinated as soon as possible. But we’re running last in the race to get it done. We won’t reach the required levels of COVID vaccination without more vaccine supplies and a faster roll out. We can’t rely on a system where workers have to get their jab on weekends or during lunch breaks. Monash University allows full-time workers to get vaccinated on work time. But it won’t pay casuals to do the same. No worker should have to choose between getting vaccinated and paying the bills. The latest plan from the Morrison government will see 2 million jabs per week being administered from September. We need paid leave to attend vaccination and recover from routine side effects. Last year workers in our Union campaigned for and won paid pandemic leave and one day a week carer’s leave for staff caring and home-schooling. This year, together, we can win paid vaccination leave. But we need to work together. We need a strong voice to demand nation-wide paid vaccination leave. We need it for the University, and we need it for our colleagues and students. Sign the petition for paid vaccination leave. Join your union.

*update* National Cabinet is due to meet on August 27 and apparently discuss this issue however we will keep this petition up until our demands are met. Your voice matters. Please share this petition widely. Scott Morrison has said we must ”learn to live” with COVID-19 once we reach an 80% vaccination threshold of adults. This leaves 36% of the population unvaccinated, including most young people under 16 years old. The health toll on young people could be a disaster. Learning to live with the virus poses an unacceptable health risk until all ages under 16 are vaccinated. The National Plan and vaccine thresholds must be updated and include young people. We are concerned about young people returning to school unvaccinated for the following reasons; 1. Compared to previous variants, the delta variant is more virulent in young people. The Western Australian AMA former President Andrew Miller in WA Today states "The other real worry is that about 40 per cent of kids still have symptoms at four months, and 7 per cent have disabling physical or mental issues at six months, which can lead into long COVID syndrome." 2. Compared to previous variants, the delta variant has a 10-15 times higher transmissibility in young people. To date, young people are disproportionately affected. In Victoria, 45% of infections are in children and teenagers. In New South Wales, the figure is 30%. (22/8/21) Note these disproportionate infection rates are occurring in the context of remote learning in Victoria and NSW. Concerningly in the regional area of Shepparton, where school remained open for some of the current statewide lockdown, every school has become an exposure site and is now closed with multiple children, young people and their families now infected. The infection rates could rise further if students return onsite before being vaccinated. Unlike most workplaces, once students return to classrooms, social distancing will be practically impossible. Furthermore, adequate air ventilation, filtration and monitoring infrastructure, at this stage, does not exist. 3. The Doherty report was written before the recent evidence that indicates that the transmissibility of the Delta variant is much higher in young people. The Doherty model's rationale for excluding young people in their vaccine quotas rests on the assumption that "[e]xpanding the vaccine program to the 12-15 year age group has minimal impact on transmission and clinical outcomes for any achieved level of vaccine uptake". This is outdated.  More recent epidemiological modelling indicates that the necessity for heavier social distancing measures will be reduced if 5-15 year olds are included in the vaccination strategy (McBryde et al. 2021). Both the NSW and Victorian Chief Health Officers have recognised that young people are now a vector for broader community transmission. 4. As school staff we are acutely aware of the mental health challenges that students face under lockdown. However, returning students to onsite learning as a predominantly unvaccinated group and into an unsafe environment is not a solution.

I’m a proud union member/supporter of the public sector. Public servants dedicate their work to providing quality services and support to our communities. When you won the election in 2017, you asked public servants to support urgent budget repair, and accept a wage increase of $1,000 per year. Now, we are asking you to support them. We are asking you to support the WA public sector that keeps this state running.

Every day, ES staff work to keep our schools running, support our students to learn, and our teachers to teach. Their work is diverse, complex, and vital, but it is undervalued. The salaries of Education Support workers in public schools do not match their contribution. Too many ES are considering leaving the profession and will continue to do so unless the Premier and Education Minister act now. It’s about time our ES staff were paid properly for the important work they do.