07 March 2006

Messages of support flood in from across the world

USA - The National Education Association

The National Education Association and its 2.8 million members in the USA stand in solidarity with the members of NATFHE and AUT as you take strike action on Match 7 and begin boycotting national exams. I understand that the university management has backed off from the government agreement that one third of the tuition income would be spent on staff salaries. While the employers have had months to consider the repercussions of this decision and pending industrial action, I trust that they will now wake up. Students’ educations and futures are on the line.

We wish NATFHE and AUT great success as you move ahead jointly in this action and in unifying the voice of higher education in the UK. May the actions of the members of NATFHE and AUT lead to fair remuneration and enhanced quality of higher education in the UK

In name of the Department of Higher Education and Research of FENPROF (the Portuguese Federation of Teachers), I would like to salute and bring our warm solidarity to your strike against the university employers refuse to use the tuition fees for staff salaries, as accorded with the government. Just like you, we are not in favour of the existing tuition fees, but they exist, and above all we consider that fair salaries compatible with the high specialisation and social responsibility of Higher Education teachers are a condition for the increase and maintenance of high levels of quality and social relevance on this sector.

So, do receive our friend support and encouragement, as I still remember that we got from you ten years ago, during our own strike, and I could read your message in my University teachers meeting. We all stand behind you, and wish you the best success on this process.

On behalf of the 48,000 academic staff that the Canadian Association of University Teachers represents at more that 100 universities and colleges across Canada, we want to express our wholehearted support for you members’ decision to take industrial action.

Academic staff in Canada know all too well the effects of cuts to public funding, declining real pay, larger class sizes, more temporary worker and less job security. We strongly believe that fair compensation for academic staff is the keystone of high quality education.

We will be watching your strike action on March 7, and your actions in the weeks that follow, as you boycott assessments, and we will ensure that our members are aware of your courageous and necessary decision to stand up to university employers.

Academic staff world wide will benefit from you determination to preserve and protect the quality of post-secondary education.

We send a message of support to our colleagues in AUT and NATFHE that we deplore University Management reneging on a promise with respect to staff salaries.

On behalf of the National Tertiary Education Union in Australia, and its 27,000 members, I wish academic and related staff union members in the United Kingdom every success in your national strike today and in your ongoing industrial and political campaign for salary justice.

We have followed the UK debate over fees and salaries in recent years, and everyone agreed that the issue of inadequate academic salaries would be addressed now that significant additional funds are to flow to higher education.

However, the position now taken by UCEA is nothing less than an act of treachery against their own staff - something we have also grown accustomed to all too often in Australia, just as we have become accustomed to spiraling Vice-Chancellor’s salaries.

Globalisation requires global solidarity. From Australia, we give you our full support today, and until you achieve victory.

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