Voluntary student unionism
Encyclopedia
Voluntary student unionism (VSU) is a policy, notable in Australia
, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university
student organisations
is voluntary.
Voluntary student unionism has been implemented in Australia
and at the University of Auckland
in New Zealand
, where it is known as voluntary student membership (VSM).
Forms of VSU have been law in Western Australia
from 1994 until 2002, in Victoria
from 1994 to 2000, in New Zealand since 1999 and across Australia from 1 July 2006.
In order to avoid membership students had to actively opt out. Opting out did not absolve the student from paying a services fee. This fee was often equal to the union membership dues, so the benefit of opting out was almost solely one of principle.
, and received the Royal Assent
on 19 December 2005. Since 1 July 2006, Australian universities have faced fines of A$
100 per student for compelling payment for any non-academic good or service.
Under legislation passed in 1999, VSM can be enacted at any New Zealand university by a referendum
of students. At present, only students at the University of Auckland
voted to enact VSM, affecting membership of the Auckland University Students' Association
. Consequently, students enrolled since that vote go without the benefits of a student association, unless they arrive at university aware of them, and can find out how to join, and afford the fees without the option of having it included in their student loan. Students at all universities can to choose to resign their membership of their student association. Students at the University of Waikato
enacted VSM, but later returned to universal student membership, when a referendum was held during study week.
In October 2009, Heather Roy
's Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill was drawn from the ballot. Due to filibustering
by the Labour Party
and of particular note, Trevor Mallard
. The Bill eventually passed on September 28th 2011, just under two years from when the Bill was drawn from the ballot and gained Royal Assent to become the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Act 2011 on 30 September 2011, finally giving students a choice as to whether they join a student association or not.
. Alternatively it may be seen as being required to belong to a professional organisation, in which case it would merely be a means of ensuring standards – though student unions hold no regulatory role (or authority).
Supporters of VSU compare the compulsory charging of membership levies to extortion. Those who argue that a student union is roughly equivalent to a workers' union note that compelling, or forbidding, union membership is illegal in Australian workplaces. Others note that student unions are not structured like trade unions, have different goals and methods and have become in modern time, providers of important services providers for students.
Supporters of VSU argue that leadership of student organisations tend to be particularly drawn from the Left
, which they argue is reflective of an aggressive leftist culture in universities, but which is not representative of the whole student body. This is seen in New Zealand universities, also. Opponents of VSU state that electoral processes are open to students of any political persuasion and that students have the right to vote for whichever candidates they feel represent them. Additional to this any elected representative can be rolled from a position by means of a vote of no confidence from the membership.
In a similar vein, opponents of VSU argue that it silences students' voices by removing universal membership of a student organisation. The National Union of Students
(NUS) is an umbrella organisation for most (though not all) representative and advocacy-providing student organisations; at present it organises national programs and days of action (for example) and undertakes activities such as parliamentary submissions and media relations. It is probable that the NUS's activities will be severely curtailed as VSU has left many student unions unable to pay full dues to the NUS. The fact that any given student union would also represent a significantly smaller part of their university's student body would make it much harder to gain media attention and funds to be an effective pressure group. VSU supporters counter that the NUS and member bodies used students' money for political ends, some of which were supported by only left wing students.
who said the original VSU legislation could lead to "unnecessary collateral damage against sporting facilities and other vital parts of university infrastructure, and we can get rid of compulsory student unionism without affecting you know, the sporting clubs and you know the childcare facilities" Proponents counter that the free-market system rewards venues and establishments which students enjoy and value, and that it lets students choose their own level of contribution to a political cause.
VSU proponents further argue that few students participate in such political action, meaning that only ideologues will suffer as they will not be able to use others' money for their own causes. VSU opponents argue that the range of students involved in any one particular activity may be small, but the number of students involved in some combination of activities – political or otherwise – was high, and must be lower under VSU.
With the growth of the principle of user-pays, some have argued that student unions distort efficient behaviour and lead to sub-optimal decision-making. The principle, in summary, says that prices send signals to the market about how much of a good or service should be produced and consumed; altering the price creates a deadweight loss
.
Opponents of VSU note that not all economic benefits are maximised individually (i.e., there are beneficial externalities
). For example, student unions have frequently subsidised food outlets on campus, arguing that people get utility from bars crowded with fun-seeking university students – an environment that might not exist in the absence of subsidy. Proponents respond that students who don't make use of the crowded outlet are paying for others' food and drink. Another more serious example relates to advocacy provided by students associations. Many students face difficult personal and financial problems whilst studying. Advocacy services are not used by 100% of students, yet all students pay for the service to be available. Some students argue that they are paying for other students to use the advocacy service even though they have not needed to use it.
However, in at least some instances, VSU-funded subsidies failed to secure lower prices. This was highlighted by the federal government which cited a student's Courier-Mail letter to the editor
which claimed: "A plain roll at the bakery costs at least twice as much as at other bakeries. All their food is at least as expensive as that in comparable bakeries and cafes."
Furthermore, opponents of VSU liken fees to council rates or taxes – an unpleasant but necessary payment for those services which by necessity must be communally provided. VSU proponents respond that student unions are fundamentally not governments and should not have the right to compel money from people; they also argue that most union services – food, childcare, second-hand bookshops, etc. – already operate in the private sector, sometimes at cheaper prices than the subsidised equivalents. Opponents note that facilities such as playing field
s and emergency student loans would have to be taken up by universities since they would almost certainly not be available through the private sector. Opponents of VSU cite that the nature of advocacy and representation fall beyond what could be put to market forces, they further state that the nature of such services prevent them from effectively functioning from within the university, therefore Student Associations must be entrusted to carry out these services.
Also, it is argued that compulsory funding of campus services removes the incentive to provide more desirable or more useful services, or in some instances prohibits them from operating on campus altogether. VSU proponents argue that the brief experience of VSU in Western Australia
and at Waikato University in New Zealand demonstrates that student organisations realign their priorities and emphasise commercial activities and student welfare and advocacy when they no longer receive a compulsory fee – in other words, seek to provide value to students. It is argued that compulsory services funding encourages inefficient service provision and reduces competition, ultimately disadvantaging student consumers. Others cite that the nature of many core services that Students Associations provide will not enhance quality by competition, and may in some cases harm quality of service.
s, poster campaigns, media releases, and mock funeral
s of student services.
(AVCC), generally have been in support of membership and compulsory fees for student organisations for three broad reasons. First, they prefer to leave service provision in the hands of students; second, the activities associated with campus organisations help to market the universities to prospective students; and third, they view student unions as valid representative bodies.
Since VSU removes much of student unions' funds, universities are left to decide whether or not to provide many of the services currently associated with student organisations. Many have chosen not to, although the Australian National University
, the University of New South Wales
, the University of Sydney
, the University of Queensland
, the University of Newcastle
and the University of Adelaide
have provided funding to their respective student unions, subject to various conditions.
Concern was raised that student support services, an attractive feature for international students, upon whom universities rely heavily for financial support, would be diminished under VSU. The Howard Government
stated that the Education Services for Overseas Students Act will still allow compulsory fees to be charged to international students to pay for student amenities and services.
The AVCC views student organisations as having a legitimate representation role, even though much of student advocacy is directly against university administrations. University administrators prefer to have an external body that students can bring grievances to, rather than having to deal directly with every disgruntled student, or with a variety of different student lobby groups.
(the ALSF), and the Liberal Clubs in various universities across Australia which form its membership. Also supportive have been former Liberal Students Tony Abbott
, Sophie Panopoulos, Tony Smith, Mitch Fifield
and John Howard
, as well as former Federal Minister for Education, David Kemp.
The National Union of Students
(NUS) claims that the ALSF, in advocating VSU, is only attempting to silence NUS criticism of the Howard
Government's policy towards students. Being fully aware that student organisations are mainly reliant on compulsory fees to operate, the ALSF, according to this view, is knowingly seeking the destruction of student organisations. The Labor Party and the Australian Council of Trade Unions
alleges that the implementation of VSU by the Howard Government represents an ideological hostility towards collective
organisations.
and trade union
s. NUS views the argument that not all students benefit from student membership as fallacious, claiming that there is an indirect benefit for students generally. It describes pro-VSU positions as being analogous to voluntary taxation; particularly given that, if membership was voluntary, there would be opportunities for students to enjoy student organisation services without having to pay for them. The argument runs that student services would still be demanded under VSU, and the charges for them would still have to be levied by universities; but students would lose oversight of the allocation and direction of those funds. In recognition of this, the Howard Government's proposed legislation includes provisions that fine universities for not refunding student services charges.
However, VSU was seen as a welcome relief to many groups of students within Universities, especially those who felt that the Student Unions offered them very little benefit. For example many younger students felt it unfair for them to play between $200–$300 to subsidise things like childcare which primarily benefited mature age students.
, which ran a number of overtly progressive campaigns (for example, in support of the Palestine Liberation Organization
), led to a significant conservative minority within that organisation to call for voluntary student organisation membership.
VSU advocates initially attempted to bring it about by running campus referendum
campaigns calling for voluntary membership. Such campaigns, however, were consistently defeated. Nevertheless, a campaign was successfully run to have many student organisations disaffiliate themselves from AUS, causing its eventual collapse.
NUS was formed as the successor of the AUS in the late 1980s. The ALSF then changed to focusing on lobbying state and federal Liberal Party governments to abolish compulsory membership. A case concerning James Cook University
was brought to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
, claiming that compulsory union membership was anti-competitive
. The Commission eventually rejected the case on the basis that student organisations had a positive social impact. In Western Australia, VSU was partially enacted by the state Liberal Party government, only to be rescinded when the ALP regained power.
Following its election in 1996 , the Howard Government
signalled its intention to introduce VSU. It tried to pass legislation to this effect several times in the late 1990s. Student organisations responded with strong campaigns in opposition to VSU throughout that time. The legislation was persistently rejected in the Australian Senate
, where the Labor Party, the Australian Democrats
, and the Greens
have voted against it. Following its 2001 election victory, aware that attempts to introduce VSU would not pass the Senate, the Government moved away from the VSU agenda. Advocates of VSU received a boost, however, when the Howard government gained control of the Senate at the 2004 Federal election. Nationwide implementation of VSU had been listed among the government's legislative agenda to be placed before the Senate.
On the 16th of March, 2005, Brendan Nelson
introduced the Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees) Bill 2005 before the Parliament
. Initially expected to be passed due to the government's majority in the Senate from July, it was opposed in its original form by maverick senator Barnaby Joyce
, who threatened to cross the floor if sporting facilities and collegial spirit were not protected. Despite such opposition, Education Minister Nelson insisted that the legislation would pass unamended and come into force as of January 1, 2006. By October 2005 , however, it became apparent that it would not be possible to implement VSU in time for the new academic year.
On 9 December 2005, the legislation was reintroduced. Due to the decision of Joyce to cross the floor and vote against the legislation, Howard was forced to obtain the vote of Family First Senator Steve Fielding
, who had maintained for several months that he was opposed to the bill in its current form. However, after being courted by Howard, Fielding did an abrupt about-face and voted for the legislation, calling compulsory student unionism "crazy" and allowing the bill to pass; though both Fielding and Brendan Nelson insisted no behind-the-scenes deal had secured his vote. The legislation was essentially identical to the government's original proposal, except that it was to come into effect on 1 July 2006, rather than at the start of the year. Fielding's office was vandalised the following weekend, with Fielding saying it was the work of opponents of VSU.
In September 2010 the Gillard Labor government introduced legislation to allow universities to charge students a compulsory service fee of up to $250 a year to fund amenities such as sporting facilities, childcare and counselling. The legislation is expected to be passed at the latest in July 2011 when the Australian Greens will exclusively hold the balance of power in the Senate.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
student organisations
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
is voluntary.
Voluntary student unionism has been implemented in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where it is known as voluntary student membership (VSM).
Forms of VSU have been law in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
from 1994 until 2002, in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
from 1994 to 2000, in New Zealand since 1999 and across Australia from 1 July 2006.
Australian student unionism prior to VSU
Although universities and student unions each had their own rules, students generally were required to become a member of their campus student organisation automatically upon enrolment. A fee for student services or amenities was charged to students, typically once a semester, once a year, or in a lump sum upon enrolment. This fee was typically collected by the university, which usually took a portion in collection fees and passed the rest to campus student organisation(s). These organisations then distributed the money according to their own rules.In order to avoid membership students had to actively opt out. Opting out did not absolve the student from paying a services fee. This fee was often equal to the union membership dues, so the benefit of opting out was almost solely one of principle.
VSU legislation
On 9 December 2005, the Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees) Bill 2005 was passed in the SenateAustralian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
, and received the Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 19 December 2005. Since 1 July 2006, Australian universities have faced fines of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
100 per student for compelling payment for any non-academic good or service.
Under legislation passed in 1999, VSM can be enacted at any New Zealand university by a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
of students. At present, only students at the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
voted to enact VSM, affecting membership of the Auckland University Students' Association
Auckland University Students' Association
The Auckland University Students' Association , founded in 1891, represents students at the University of Auckland. AUSA organises student events, publicises student issues, administers student facilities, and assists affiliated student clubs and societies. It also produces Craccum magazine and bFM...
. Consequently, students enrolled since that vote go without the benefits of a student association, unless they arrive at university aware of them, and can find out how to join, and afford the fees without the option of having it included in their student loan. Students at all universities can to choose to resign their membership of their student association. Students at the University of Waikato
University of Waikato
The University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
enacted VSM, but later returned to universal student membership, when a referendum was held during study week.
In October 2009, Heather Roy
Heather Roy
Heather Roy , is a New Zealand politician and has served as an ACT Member of Parliament since 2002. From 2006 until 17 August 2010, Roy was ACT's Deputy Leader...
's Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill was drawn from the ballot. Due to filibustering
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
by the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
and of particular note, Trevor Mallard
Trevor Mallard
Trevor Colin Mallard is a New Zealand politician. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand holding portfolios including Environment, Labour, Broadcasting, State Owned Enterprises, Rugby World Cup and Education. He was also Associate Minister of Finance.-Early...
. The Bill eventually passed on September 28th 2011, just under two years from when the Bill was drawn from the ballot and gained Royal Assent to become the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Act 2011 on 30 September 2011, finally giving students a choice as to whether they join a student association or not.
Arguments and issues
Arguments for and against VSU typically fall into three broad categories: civil rights impact; social impact; and economic impact.The civil rights argument
Requiring membership of student organisations may be seen by some as a form of forced unionisation, which some see as contrary to the principle of freedom of associationFreedom of association
Freedom of association is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests....
. Alternatively it may be seen as being required to belong to a professional organisation, in which case it would merely be a means of ensuring standards – though student unions hold no regulatory role (or authority).
Supporters of VSU compare the compulsory charging of membership levies to extortion. Those who argue that a student union is roughly equivalent to a workers' union note that compelling, or forbidding, union membership is illegal in Australian workplaces. Others note that student unions are not structured like trade unions, have different goals and methods and have become in modern time, providers of important services providers for students.
Supporters of VSU argue that leadership of student organisations tend to be particularly drawn from the Left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, which they argue is reflective of an aggressive leftist culture in universities, but which is not representative of the whole student body. This is seen in New Zealand universities, also. Opponents of VSU state that electoral processes are open to students of any political persuasion and that students have the right to vote for whichever candidates they feel represent them. Additional to this any elected representative can be rolled from a position by means of a vote of no confidence from the membership.
In a similar vein, opponents of VSU argue that it silences students' voices by removing universal membership of a student organisation. The National Union of Students
National Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
(NUS) is an umbrella organisation for most (though not all) representative and advocacy-providing student organisations; at present it organises national programs and days of action (for example) and undertakes activities such as parliamentary submissions and media relations. It is probable that the NUS's activities will be severely curtailed as VSU has left many student unions unable to pay full dues to the NUS. The fact that any given student union would also represent a significantly smaller part of their university's student body would make it much harder to gain media attention and funds to be an effective pressure group. VSU supporters counter that the NUS and member bodies used students' money for political ends, some of which were supported by only left wing students.
The social argument
A common thread in the argument against VSU is the notion of a campus culture, or the university experience. University has traditionally been a time of broadening horizons, socialising, and political activism. Opponents argue that VSU makes it more difficult for students to have high quality sports grounds, lively music and social venues, and the resources necessary to mount protests and political campaigns, leading to moribund campuses. This was a view expressed by Senator Barnaby JoyceBarnaby Joyce
Barnaby Thomas Gerald Joyce , Australian politician, has been a National Party member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Queensland since July 2005...
who said the original VSU legislation could lead to "unnecessary collateral damage against sporting facilities and other vital parts of university infrastructure, and we can get rid of compulsory student unionism without affecting you know, the sporting clubs and you know the childcare facilities" Proponents counter that the free-market system rewards venues and establishments which students enjoy and value, and that it lets students choose their own level of contribution to a political cause.
VSU proponents further argue that few students participate in such political action, meaning that only ideologues will suffer as they will not be able to use others' money for their own causes. VSU opponents argue that the range of students involved in any one particular activity may be small, but the number of students involved in some combination of activities – political or otherwise – was high, and must be lower under VSU.
The economic argument
Student Unions charge anywhere between $0 and $300 per year for membership. Levying of fees is criticised by some on the grounds that it is financially onerous, particularly to students who may already be struggling with the associated costs of university study. Others site that the associated financial benefits of robust representation provided by students' associations result in lower fees and higher quality of educational experience for students.With the growth of the principle of user-pays, some have argued that student unions distort efficient behaviour and lead to sub-optimal decision-making. The principle, in summary, says that prices send signals to the market about how much of a good or service should be produced and consumed; altering the price creates a deadweight loss
Deadweight loss
In economics, a deadweight loss is a loss of economic efficiency that can occur when equilibrium for a good or service is not Pareto optimal...
.
Opponents of VSU note that not all economic benefits are maximised individually (i.e., there are beneficial externalities
Externality
In economics, an externality is a cost or benefit, not transmitted through prices, incurred by a party who did not agree to the action causing the cost or benefit...
). For example, student unions have frequently subsidised food outlets on campus, arguing that people get utility from bars crowded with fun-seeking university students – an environment that might not exist in the absence of subsidy. Proponents respond that students who don't make use of the crowded outlet are paying for others' food and drink. Another more serious example relates to advocacy provided by students associations. Many students face difficult personal and financial problems whilst studying. Advocacy services are not used by 100% of students, yet all students pay for the service to be available. Some students argue that they are paying for other students to use the advocacy service even though they have not needed to use it.
However, in at least some instances, VSU-funded subsidies failed to secure lower prices. This was highlighted by the federal government which cited a student's Courier-Mail letter to the editor
Letter to the editor
A letter to the editor is a letter sent to a publication about issues of concern from its readers. Usually, letters are intended for publication...
which claimed: "A plain roll at the bakery costs at least twice as much as at other bakeries. All their food is at least as expensive as that in comparable bakeries and cafes."
Furthermore, opponents of VSU liken fees to council rates or taxes – an unpleasant but necessary payment for those services which by necessity must be communally provided. VSU proponents respond that student unions are fundamentally not governments and should not have the right to compel money from people; they also argue that most union services – food, childcare, second-hand bookshops, etc. – already operate in the private sector, sometimes at cheaper prices than the subsidised equivalents. Opponents note that facilities such as playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
s and emergency student loans would have to be taken up by universities since they would almost certainly not be available through the private sector. Opponents of VSU cite that the nature of advocacy and representation fall beyond what could be put to market forces, they further state that the nature of such services prevent them from effectively functioning from within the university, therefore Student Associations must be entrusted to carry out these services.
Also, it is argued that compulsory funding of campus services removes the incentive to provide more desirable or more useful services, or in some instances prohibits them from operating on campus altogether. VSU proponents argue that the brief experience of VSU in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and at Waikato University in New Zealand demonstrates that student organisations realign their priorities and emphasise commercial activities and student welfare and advocacy when they no longer receive a compulsory fee – in other words, seek to provide value to students. It is argued that compulsory services funding encourages inefficient service provision and reduces competition, ultimately disadvantaging student consumers. Others cite that the nature of many core services that Students Associations provide will not enhance quality by competition, and may in some cases harm quality of service.
Student unions
Many student organisations opposed VSU, expressing concern about their ability to provide social, academic, and political services under VSU as well as meet long-term financial commitments without guaranteed revenue streams. Their response included national days of action, protestProtest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s, poster campaigns, media releases, and mock funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
s of student services.
Universities
Australian universities, as represented by the Australian Vice-Chancellors' CommitteeAustralian Vice-Chancellors' Committee
Universities Australia is an organisation founded in Sydney in May 1920, which attempts to advance higher education through voluntary, cooperative and coordinated action. After being based for a time in both Sydney and Melbourne, its offices relocated to Canberra in 1966...
(AVCC), generally have been in support of membership and compulsory fees for student organisations for three broad reasons. First, they prefer to leave service provision in the hands of students; second, the activities associated with campus organisations help to market the universities to prospective students; and third, they view student unions as valid representative bodies.
Since VSU removes much of student unions' funds, universities are left to decide whether or not to provide many of the services currently associated with student organisations. Many have chosen not to, although the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, the University of Newcastle
University of Newcastle, Australia
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university that was established in 1965. The University's main and largest campus is located in Callaghan, a suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales...
and the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
have provided funding to their respective student unions, subject to various conditions.
Concern was raised that student support services, an attractive feature for international students, upon whom universities rely heavily for financial support, would be diminished under VSU. The Howard Government
Howard Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
stated that the Education Services for Overseas Students Act will still allow compulsory fees to be charged to international students to pay for student amenities and services.
The AVCC views student organisations as having a legitimate representation role, even though much of student advocacy is directly against university administrations. University administrators prefer to have an external body that students can bring grievances to, rather than having to deal directly with every disgruntled student, or with a variety of different student lobby groups.
Liberal Party organisations and members
The most vocal proponent of VSU in Australia has been the Australian Liberal Students' FederationAustralian Liberal Students' Federation
The Australian Liberal Stduents' Federation or ALSF is an Australian students political group. The ALSF is the peak national body for over thirty campus Liberal Clubs. While the ALSF carries similar ideology to the Liberal Party of Australia and works closely with the party it is an Independent...
(the ALSF), and the Liberal Clubs in various universities across Australia which form its membership. Also supportive have been former Liberal Students Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
, Sophie Panopoulos, Tony Smith, Mitch Fifield
Mitch Fifield
Mitchell Peter "Mitch" Fifield , Australian politician, is member of the Australian Senate since March 2004, representing the state of Victoria for the Liberal Party.-Early years:...
and John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, as well as former Federal Minister for Education, David Kemp.
The National Union of Students
National Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
(NUS) claims that the ALSF, in advocating VSU, is only attempting to silence NUS criticism of the Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
Government's policy towards students. Being fully aware that student organisations are mainly reliant on compulsory fees to operate, the ALSF, according to this view, is knowingly seeking the destruction of student organisations. The Labor Party and the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
alleges that the implementation of VSU by the Howard Government represents an ideological hostility towards collective
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
organisations.
Other groups' positions
The push for VSU has been strongly resisted by the Australian National Union of StudentsNational Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
and trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s. NUS views the argument that not all students benefit from student membership as fallacious, claiming that there is an indirect benefit for students generally. It describes pro-VSU positions as being analogous to voluntary taxation; particularly given that, if membership was voluntary, there would be opportunities for students to enjoy student organisation services without having to pay for them. The argument runs that student services would still be demanded under VSU, and the charges for them would still have to be levied by universities; but students would lose oversight of the allocation and direction of those funds. In recognition of this, the Howard Government's proposed legislation includes provisions that fine universities for not refunding student services charges.
However, VSU was seen as a welcome relief to many groups of students within Universities, especially those who felt that the Student Unions offered them very little benefit. For example many younger students felt it unfair for them to play between $200–$300 to subsidise things like childcare which primarily benefited mature age students.
History in Australia
Compulsory student organisation membership was initially accepted as uncontentious by all political persuasions. By the 1970s, the overtly political nature of the Australian Union of StudentsAustralian Union of Students
The Australian Union of Students was formed in December 1970 as the successor to the National Union of Australian University Students as a representative body and lobby group for Australian University and College of Advanced Education students. It collapsed in 1984 and was succeeded by the...
, which ran a number of overtly progressive campaigns (for example, in support of the Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a political and paramilitary organization which was created in 1964. It is recognized as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" by the United Nations and over 100 states with which it holds diplomatic relations, and has enjoyed...
), led to a significant conservative minority within that organisation to call for voluntary student organisation membership.
VSU advocates initially attempted to bring it about by running campus referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
campaigns calling for voluntary membership. Such campaigns, however, were consistently defeated. Nevertheless, a campaign was successfully run to have many student organisations disaffiliate themselves from AUS, causing its eventual collapse.
NUS was formed as the successor of the AUS in the late 1980s. The ALSF then changed to focusing on lobbying state and federal Liberal Party governments to abolish compulsory membership. A case concerning James Cook University
James Cook University
James Cook University is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has two Australian campuses, located in Townsville and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the...
was brought to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent authority of the Australia government. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Trade Practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance Authority to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974...
, claiming that compulsory union membership was anti-competitive
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
. The Commission eventually rejected the case on the basis that student organisations had a positive social impact. In Western Australia, VSU was partially enacted by the state Liberal Party government, only to be rescinded when the ALP regained power.
Following its election in 1996 , the Howard Government
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
signalled its intention to introduce VSU. It tried to pass legislation to this effect several times in the late 1990s. Student organisations responded with strong campaigns in opposition to VSU throughout that time. The legislation was persistently rejected in the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
, where the Labor Party, the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
, and the Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
have voted against it. Following its 2001 election victory, aware that attempts to introduce VSU would not pass the Senate, the Government moved away from the VSU agenda. Advocates of VSU received a boost, however, when the Howard government gained control of the Senate at the 2004 Federal election. Nationwide implementation of VSU had been listed among the government's legislative agenda to be placed before the Senate.
On the 16th of March, 2005, Brendan Nelson
Brendan Nelson
Dr Brendan John Nelson is a former Australian politician and former federal Opposition leader. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from the 1996 federal election until 19 October 2009 as the Liberal member for Bradfield, a northern Sydney seat...
introduced the Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees) Bill 2005 before the Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
. Initially expected to be passed due to the government's majority in the Senate from July, it was opposed in its original form by maverick senator Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Thomas Gerald Joyce , Australian politician, has been a National Party member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Queensland since July 2005...
, who threatened to cross the floor if sporting facilities and collegial spirit were not protected. Despite such opposition, Education Minister Nelson insisted that the legislation would pass unamended and come into force as of January 1, 2006. By October 2005 , however, it became apparent that it would not be possible to implement VSU in time for the new academic year.
On 9 December 2005, the legislation was reintroduced. Due to the decision of Joyce to cross the floor and vote against the legislation, Howard was forced to obtain the vote of Family First Senator Steve Fielding
Steve Fielding
Steven "Steve" Fielding , was a Senator representing the state of Victoria and the federal parliamentary leader of the Family First Party in Australia. Elected to the Senate at the 2004 federal election on two percent of the Victorian vote, he failed to gain re-election at the 2010 federal election...
, who had maintained for several months that he was opposed to the bill in its current form. However, after being courted by Howard, Fielding did an abrupt about-face and voted for the legislation, calling compulsory student unionism "crazy" and allowing the bill to pass; though both Fielding and Brendan Nelson insisted no behind-the-scenes deal had secured his vote. The legislation was essentially identical to the government's original proposal, except that it was to come into effect on 1 July 2006, rather than at the start of the year. Fielding's office was vandalised the following weekend, with Fielding saying it was the work of opponents of VSU.
In September 2010 the Gillard Labor government introduced legislation to allow universities to charge students a compulsory service fee of up to $250 a year to fund amenities such as sporting facilities, childcare and counselling. The legislation is expected to be passed at the latest in July 2011 when the Australian Greens will exclusively hold the balance of power in the Senate.
Terminology
There are several terms being used to describe voluntary student unionism and its opposite, each with its own frequency, accuracy, impartiality, and favourability.Voluntary arrangements
- Voluntary student unionism (VSU)
- Anti-student organisation legislation (ASOL)
- Voluntary student representation (VSR) - A "watered down" alternative to VSU, in which compulsory fees for student politics are banned, but may still be levied for non-political uses.
- Voluntary student membership (VSM) - New Zealand arrangement similar to VSU
- Optional membership of student organisations (OMSO) - positive euphemism for VSU.
Universal arrangements
- Universal student unionism
- Universal student representation
- Student organisation
- Opt-out student membership
- Forced unionism
External links
- Higher Education Support Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees) Bill 2005
- Senate Report
News articles
- Family First vote gets VSU through Senate (ABC News)
- Members Only (Sydney Morning Herald)
- Labor slams uni change as ideology gone mad (ABC News)
- Student union bill in peril as Nats defy PM
- Anti-VSU protesters hit parliament (Sydney Morning Herald)
- Unis need to prove VSU impact (Sydney Morning Herald)
- VSU prompted office attack: Fielding (ABC News)
- Fielding target of student protests (The Age)
- Protesters target Vic MP's office (The Age)