The year ahead.

Feb. 5, 2025

Hau Taki Haere | Tertiary Update Vol 29, No 1

By Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary Sandra Grey

As the summer break - bought to us all by unions - fades into our memories, we find ourselves looking out at a world that appears to be burning in every way imaginable.

There have been global attacks on public servants and on the citizens who need public services, public hospitals and public education systems. In Aotearoa this has seen thousands of workers losing their jobs and unemployment racing over 5%. In the tertiary education sector this manifests as cuts to provision of vocational education in communities across the country as the government demands tertiary institutions ‘balance their books’.

The start of 2025 has seen attacks on workers rights across the globe. In Aoteaora basic rights for workers – like the right to strike – are being constrained by our government. In our sector academic workers are seeing their rights attacked with universities being required to have ‘freedom of speech policies’ which will be monitored by government.

And governments in every corner of the world are attempting to crush people’s fundamental rights. In Aotearoa we are seeing attacks on Māori rights to tino rangatiratanga. This attack in the tertiary education sector is most visible in the cuts to Marsden funding for the social sciences which has been reported as push back against what a Minister sees as ‘woke’ research – research by Māori on matters of concern to Māori.

And they are trying to undermine us from acts of solidarity. In our own sector we’ve seen this with the move to have two ministers in the tertiary education sector – one for universities and one for polytechnics (we’re not sure where all the rest of the sector fits in this government’s vision). They want us fighting for the scraps off the table rather than facing them to demand more money for the sector overall.

Some of this makes me wonder if we should not all just head back to the beach for some sun and surf until the far-right forces behind these attacks go away.

Thank goodness that’s not what we’ve done. We’ve not had a sleepy summer – we’ve mobilised.

We have seen this push back in the 300,000 submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. In the protests to get hospitals built and record numbers marching on parliament for a better Aotearoa. Thousands have stood up week after week demanding peace in Palestine. And we’ve seen it in the strikes by workers in health, the core public sector, and of course our sector.

Together we are pushing back against the forces that are harming our whanau, our communities, our Aotearoa, our globe.

We are clear, we want an Aotearoa where workers have decent wages, can afford clean, dry homes, are able to thrive not just survive, where there is publicly funded and accessible tertiary education, and of course where workers have rights that allow them to stand together in union to protest against employer and government decisions which are destructive to all.

We are a world class union with mana because we stand and fight. Because we unite. Because we stand up for the most vulnerable in our workplaces.

The forces trying to harm workers will see that the workers are united.

So when you see the nurses near you picketing for safe staffing levels and decent pay, take the time to stand with them.

When we send out the call for submissions on bills that attack rights, spend an evening with your friends writing down the importance of a world that cares.

When you scroll social media, think deeply about what you share and make sure you share what you value and why you joined this union.

Be part of union action on the issues that matter – secure work, decent pay, safe working environments, the right staffing levels. Oh and let us know what you are ready to fight for in the TEU survey coming your way soon. While this government is refusing to listen it’s crucial we protect democracy and the right to speak up in every corner of our world.

And make sure you share with everyone your vision for Aotearoa, for tertiary education, for communities, for the planet. Share your vision and take a step each day to make that world.

Also in this update:

Other stories:

If the government wants science to have an economic impact it has to put its money where its mouth is – The Conversation

Crown Research Institutes to be merged: Science sector revamp draws mixed reaction – RNZ

Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi remembered for reviving te reo: 'We exist because of what she's done' – RNZ

Whitireia and WelTec’s creative campus faces potential closure – The Post