No More Intimidation of Teacher Unionists Campaign Committee
Media Release, 14 May 1999
Contact: Peter Murray: 9386-5065; 0411 586 435
Unionist's discrimination case begins Monday.
On Monday May 17 the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal =
(VCAT) will begin hearing a complaint of unlawful discrimination =
lodged in 1997 by long-time political activist and union militant, =
Alison Thorne. Ms Thorne is the Melbourne Organiser of the Freedom =
Socialist Party, and the Australian pioneer of Radical Women, an =
organisation dedicated to building the confidence and leadership of =
in-your-face feminist activists. Hers is the first of a series of =
complaints against the management at Northern Melbourne Institute of =
TAFE (NMIT) to be brought by union activists who have lost jobs in =
similar circumstances.
Alison, the local Australian Education Union (AEU) branch President =
and a teacher of twenty years standing, was dismissed from her full =
time position at NMIT on April 11 1997. She is alleging that when it =
retrenched her, NMIT management discriminated unlawfully because of =
her industrial and political activities. She and two other active =
unionists were sacked on the grounds of alleged excess, while =
management employed poorly-paid casual teachers to front classes =
formerly provided by the stood-down permanent staff. Other active =
unionists in her department were demoted or offered part time jobs.
The retrenchments provoked a strike and mass meeting on April 30 1997 =
which condemned the sackings as discriminatory and voted to establish =
a campaign committee. This community campaign committee =8B No More =
Intimidation of Teacher [NMIT] Unionists =8B organises actions to =
publicise the retrenchments and convince NMIT management to reinstate =
those former staff who wish to return to the Institute.
Thorne was fired despite a Supreme Court Order agreed to by the State =
of Victoria. She won a landmark equal opportunity case against the =
former Cain Government in 1986. She is determined to regain the lost =
position and entitlements she alleges were denied her by the TAFE =
Institute. Apart from the action at VCAT, NMIT Unionists is exploring =
other legal avenues, based on the 1986 Supreme Court Order, under =
which Alison was seconded to the then Preston TAFE as part of the =
settlement of her earlier case.
Peter Murray, an activist in the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, and a =
member of the NMIT Unionists Campaign Committee said:
"The historic MUA dispute last year showed that the Victorian public =
is growing more and more impatient with employers who discriminate =
against working people merely because they exercise their right to =
organise".
Alison fought long and hard to regain her teaching position in the =
face of media hysteria and political opportunism by the then =
government. She should not have to fight again for her job, given =
that the Supreme Court ordered that she be treated no less favourably =
than any other teacher.
NMIT unionists campaign is actively pursuing all legal avenues, and =
will continue to organise for the reinstatement of all workers =
victimised by a rogue employer because they chose to be active union =
members. The MUA won out over the union-busting tactics of Patrick =
Stevedores and we intend to achieve a similar result."
Thorne=B9s current case comes just days after VCAT ruled in favour of =
union activist, Mr Mario Kobza.
Referring to that decision Murray noted: "for far too long employers =
have hidden behind transparent ruses to rid themselves of active =
union members, using the climate of fear created by the Kennett and =
Howard Government industrial laws. NMIT Unionists congratulates Mr =
Kobza and pledges to keep fighting for justice for Ms Thorne and =
other victimised unionised workers".
A complaint brought by the former Secretary of the NMIT AEU branch, =
Ms Barbara Morgan, is scheduled to be begin at VCAT on June 1.
More information: Peter Murray, 9386-5065 or 0411 586 435
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