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Poetry: The UQ Stonewall
The University of Queensland has sought to join the ranks of union-busting companies like Rio Tinto in trying to sack the president of the local union - and made the mistake of thinking they were dealing with an array of acquiescent academics.
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Songs of Solidarity
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The Legacy of 11/9
From the orgy of righteous indignation that has enveloped the �Free World� this week a more chilling truth is emerging: if the suicide bombers were attacking Liberal-Democracy they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
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Keeping it Clean
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Wrong Way, Go Back
The weekend machinations over the structure of the ALP are in danger of missing the fundamental point: Labor�s current malaise is caused not be an excess of core values but through a deficit.
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Fight Begins For Long Weekends
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Poetry
The UQ Stonewall
By David Peetz
The University of Queensland has sought to join the ranks of union-busting companies like Rio Tinto in trying to sack the president of the local union - and made the mistake of thinking they were dealing with an array of acquiescent academics.
"Your contract will be terminated. It's not your performance, there's nothing wrong with that."
"So it's my area of work, is it?"
"Yes, your area."
"And, what is my area?"
"um...you know...your area".
With these words, the University of Queensland last month sought to join the ranks of union-busting companies like Rio Tinto in purporting to terminate the president of the local branch of the National Tertiary Education Union, George Lafferty. The attempted sacking, prior to a round of enterprise bargaining, raises major questions both of freedom of association and freedom of speech, as Lafferty (recently promoted to associate professor because of outstanding performance) had recently sought to challenge university policy on matters such as a push to charge full fees to certain undergraduate students. A meeting of around 400 colleagues yesterday resolved to initiate a campaign against the university, including an international boycott against UQ management, unless the sacking is reversed. The University's defence has been a Wall of Silence.
Accordingly, Workers Online found inspiration in Pink Floyd's The Wall (by Roger Waters you can listen at http://www.cs.umd.edu/~mstark/mp3/Another.mp3 ) to put to music the position of UQ and then the response of George's fellow workers at UQ and other Brisbane universities.
THE UQ STONEWALL
by David Peetz
"We don't need you in Education,
No obstacles to our control,
No sharp debate in faculty boardroom,
You speak up, your career is blown.
Hey! Teacher! Leave - you're on your own!
All in all, we'll say you're, redundant then stonewall
All in all, we'll say you're, redundant then stonewall
We don't want him in Education
We want full fees when kids enrol!
No critical thinking in the classroom -
Noses stuck to the grindstone!
Hey! Teachers! Keep those lips all sewn!...
All in all, when he's gone, we can screw one and all!
All in all, when he's gone, we can screw one and all!" ...
"We want the union in Education,
We don't need your thought control!
No victimisation in the boardroom!
Don't think we'd leave him on his own!
Hey! You, Dean! Leave our man alone!
All in all, take on one, then you take on us all!
All in all, take on one, then you take on us all!"
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