A NATIONAL TAFE Day event will be held outside - instead of inside - the Tighes Hill campus this year, amidst an evolving industrial relations dispute.
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The Australian Education Union established September 6 as National TAFE Day, which NSW Teachers Federation post-schools organiser Annette Bennett said traditionally saw unions and guests "welcomed" to visit and lead events on campuses such as morning teas or lunches to celebrate TAFE.
Ms Bennett said she asked for authorisation to this year invite Newcastle-raised Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens and The Block carpenter Kyal Demmrich to the Tighes Hill campus and provide food through the cafeteria.
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She said TAFE NSW could have promoted its services, including counselling.
"The message was positive, nothing negative," she said.
Ms Bennett said TAFE NSW declined the invitation to be part of a joint celebration "due to the current difficult industrial relations climate in the context of enterprise bargaining".
"It's very disappointing," Ms Bennett said.
"They'll often say the unions are running down TAFE and why can't we be more positive.
"This day definitely we don't bring in any of the campaigning, we don't focus on the cuts.
"We focus on what TAFE has done for countless students across the decades.
"It's an apolitical celebration of TAFE, so to have them playing politics is quite disappointing... it's always where we both bury the hatchet and say 'Let's celebrate TAFE today'."
A TAFE NSW spokeswoman said the campus would be open and fully operational on Tuesday.
She said under the Fair Work legislation, TAFE NSW had granted the federation and Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) access to 33 campuses over the past two weeks and that "rights of access to the Tighes Hill campus have been granted to both unions [for Tuesday]".
"National TAFE Day is a union-led event," she said.
"While the AEU NSW Teachers' Federation has submitted a request to hold an event at Tighes Hill, TAFE NSW has respectfully declined this request. This does not impact the union's right of entry requests. TAFE NSW's priority is to provide continuity in the delivery of critical skills training for students and employers across the state."
Ms Bennett said the federation, CPSU, Hunter Workers and affiliated unions would proceed with celebrations outside the gates from 11am, hosting a sausage sizzle, a performance by Newcastle People's Chorus and speeches about "how great TAFE is".
Voting will close at noon on Thursday in the federation's protected action ballot.
Ms Bennett said the government had offered a pay rise of 2.53 per cent on a one-year agreement. The union wants 7 per cent.
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Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
