NATIONAL GROUPS

www.nteu.org.au/atsi

A&TSI Director: Adam Frogley A&TSI Organiser: Celeste Liddle QLD/NT Division A&TSI Officer: Phil Mairu (to Feb 2020) Branch Organiser (Monash): Frank Gafa

A&TSIPC 2019–20

Chair Shane Motlap (to Dec 2019) Acting Chair Sharlene Leroy-Dyer Deputy Chair Sharlene Leroy-Dyer (from Feb 2020) Division Representatives

Tas Vic WA Jacob Prehn Terry Mason Brendon DeGois

National Councillors

Sharlene Leroy-Dyer UQ Terry Mason Deakin Robert Anders UTas National Council 2020 – Motions Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander motions from National Council 2020 have formed part of the annual work plan for the A&TSI Team. The following motions were developed at the 2020 National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Forum.

• C2a_Carry forward actions from 2019

National Council motions • C2b_Identified positions and senior appointments • C2c_FNWA withdraw NTEU support Federal Budget 2020/21 2020-21 Federal Budget, released on 6 October 2020, saw further reductions to the supplementary funding allocation and forward estimates via the Indigenous Student Assistance Grants (ISAG) for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander student support administered through the Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP). When compared to the previous year’s Federal Budget and forward estimates, an overall funding decrease of -$177k has been applied to the ISSP in the 2020-21 financial year, with a further -$3.78m removed from the comparable forward estimates. As the key funding allocation supporting Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Support Centres and their staff, the Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) provides funding allocations to all Table A and B higher education providers to provide Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students with culturally appropriate support and places of cultural safety on campus. Job-Ready Graduates Package – Impacts on Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander participation The Job-Ready Graduates package announcement by the Education Minister on 19 June 2020 detailed significant changes to higher education funding priorities.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students Course increases ranging between 28% – 113% to Law, Commerce and Arts/Humanities courses respectively will factor highly into considerations for many Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples contemplating tertiary education.

On current full-year statistics (2018), 51% of the total Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander student cohort were undertaking courses under the broad fields of management and commerce, society and culture and creative arts.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander staff Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander academic and general/professional staff, like many other academic and general/professional staff, are facing loss of employment, reduced hours, additional tasks to their workloads and utilising annual leave and other leave to reduce university leave liabilities. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander staff are appointed to roles funded with Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) funds and significant changes to student enrolments will impact these Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander student support staff significantly and may force staff reductions in student support areas.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander employment 2019 2019 University Staffing data was released on 9 July 2020 by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE). Nationally there was an additional 117 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander staff (headcount) appointed to fixed term and ongoing roles, representing an 8% increase from 2018. For full-time equivalent (FTE) there was an additional 103 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander positions created, representing a 7.8% increase from 2018.

National, Division and Casual Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Forums 2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Forum was conducted entirely online for the first time in the history of National Forum, with over forty delegates registered to attend National Forum 2020 via the Zoom platform. National Forum was conducted over two days, with two sessions per day (morning and afternoon). Sessions across the two days incorporated introductions, reports, yarn session and time for motion development and debate. A total of three Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander motions were developed and endorsed by the majority of attending delegates. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Division Forums were also moved online and were held on a monthly basis from April. Online Division Forums have been successful, and through this process we have attracted new member activists who had not necessarily attended an on-campus member meeting or an annual Division Forum prior to now. In 2021 the Team will continue to hold meetings online to supplement the annual in-person meetings and campus visits across the country. Online meetings have been useful and will be utilised further. Several casual member forums have also been conducted to ensure the A&TSIPC are providing a venue to hearing their concerns. A National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

caucus meeting was also held to give the members an opportunity to hear from the National Executive Officers and the Policy Committee members regarding the Jobs Protection Framework.

Membership National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander membership stands at 514 on 9 Oct 2020. Membership experienced a 7% growth shortly after the stages of pandemic lockdown were implemented, and when coupled with the announcement pertaining to the casual fee waiver, membership during this time has been increasing. In the period June to October membership numbers have fluctuated between 507 and 517.

Campaigns, Education and Communications In 2020 as part of the NTEU National Office restructure, the National Organiser was made an adjunct part of the National Organising and Campaigns Team. continued overpage...

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Image: National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Forum 2020, held via Zoom.

Given NTEU’s existing policies on sovereignty and treaty, Adani, and the Community Development Program (CDP) there is a strong need to be better engaged in the broader union campaigns on these and other issues of national concern. Following National Forum, delegate feedback indicated a great deal of interest in undertaking Delegate training as well as Lateral Violence training. The National Organiser will work with the Education and Training Team and ACTU to provide further training opportunities for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander delegates and members. eYarn has been co-opted into various forms this year ranging from a news circular, a meeting notification, promotion tool for the National Forum and finally a call for member survey responses. In 2021 the National Team envisions eYarn will return to a news circular format which will run at least 6 times per year. Until this time the National Team will continue to contribute news through the NTEU’s Sentry publication and other member publications.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander member feedback page In light of the pandemic and subsequent significant changes to the sector, the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Team have created a member feedback page to enable

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600 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander members to have a secure platform to provide feedback on their situation. The National Team follows-up on feedback obtained to provide assistance and advice. The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander member feedback page is: www.nteu.org.au/ atsi/member_feedback_page

ACTU Indigenous Committee and Unions NSW First Nations Committee The A&TSIPC and Team have been attending scheduled meetings of the ACTU Indigenous Committee and Unions NSW First Nations Committee.

NTEU is represented by A&TSIPC Acting Chair and the National Organiser and have continued our advocacy for the Community Development Program campaign and its goals, along with raising significant concerns regarding the Voice, Treaty, Truth training program. ACTU will hold the twentieth annual Indigenous Conference in November and NTEU will take part in several discussion panels as part of the Conference program. With respect to the Unions NSW First Nations Committee, NTEU is represented by the Director (A&TSI Unit). In recent months the Unions NSW Indigenous Committee have drafted letters to NSW Parliament regarding the Black Lives Matter campaign and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

TEU Hui 2020 NTEU participated in the 2020 Tertiary Education Union Hui via Zoom video on 2 September 2020. NTEU representatives, A&TSIPC Acting Chair and the Director (A&TSI Unit) gave an overview of the status of the Australian tertiary education sector, the Job Protection Framework and the JobReady Graduates package. ◆