Economy
Nationwide rallies protest cuts to workers’ rights and wages. School funding row …
The lectern in Franklin Square with quote from George Orwell.
Neroli Ellis of the Australian Nursing Federation
HUNDREDS of Tasmanians have joined nationwide rallies to protest cuts to workers’ rights and wages.
More than 300 people joined a lunchtime rally in Hobart yesterday, while 150 turned out to an earlier march in Launceston.
The placard-waving crowd vowed to fight the State and Federal governments’ cuts to jobs and services.
The rallies were among 15 around Australia yesterday as part of an ACTU campaign.
Unions Tasmania secretary Steve Walsh told the rally in Franklin Square the Government was “determined to trash our public service”.
“Australians did not vote for cuts to Medicare, $100,000 university degrees, slashing our public services, attacking the minimum wage, cuts to penalty rates and rights at work,” Mr Walsh said.
He said the State Government’s cuts to frontline services were hurting.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian branch secretary Neroli Ellis …
*All pics Rob Walls:
Http://robertwalls.wordpress.com
Http://thisworkinglife.wordpress.com
Follow on Twitter: rob_walls
“’There are no bad pictures. That’s just how your face looks sometimes.” Abraham Lincoln
• Nick McKim: Rockliff Caught Out Secretly Increasing Funding to Non-Govt Schools While Slashing Funding for Public Schools Department of Education figures released to the Greens under Right to Information legislation show that Minister Jeremy Rockliff has secretly increased funding to non-government schools while slashing funding for public schools by over $18 million. “The Department’s figures show that even allowing for a small increase this year to School Resource Packages, public schools have lost over $18m compared to last year, while non-government schools have had their state government funding increased by over $1.4m,” said Greens Education spokesperson Nick McKim MP. “And that is not even factoring in the loss of pathway planners and the entire Guaranteeing Futures team or the massive reduction in IT support for public schools, both of which have shifted more costs out of the Department and onto schools.” “When asked about the figures in parliament this morning, Mr Rockliff initially said that funding for non-government schools had been decreased, but then later tried to claim that they had got ‘less than they expected’. Well Minister, which is it?”
• Michelle O’Byrne: Pressure mounts on Education Minister
• Jenny Eddington, TASSO President: Where is the equity? The concerns of parents are validated by the information shared in State Parliament today that public education funding is down by millions, whilst funding to the Catholic and Independent sectors has increased. Where is the equity? ‘Public schools are the cornerstone of our education system, it must be at the heart of any plan to invest in our future’ said Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations Inc.,TASSO President, Jenny Eddington