TAFE branch restructure
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 126 No 5, 30 July 2021, page no.17
The QTU is always examining its organisation and structures to ensure that it is as inclusive and consultative as possible. We are a democratic organisation, and we exist to represent the interests and voices of our members.
We have therefore been looking at the current structure of the TAFE Division and a number of the TAFE branches. To ensure member representation and inclusion in all decision making through the formal branch structures of the Union, the amalgamation of several branches and the reassignment of some workplaces was proposed. This was in part to give the TAFE members employed within TAFE Queensland Online a branch of their own with a separate voice on TAFE Council.
Following consultation with the General Secretary, members in a number of branches were contacted to ascertain their views regarding the proposals. The votes came back as overwhelmingly in favour. However, some of the branches did not achieve a significant return of votes and so in those branches further work will be undertaken to ascertain the way forward.
Following a strong YES vote, a decision was taken at the 2021 QTU Biennial Conference to move the Rockhampton TAFE Branch workplaces to the Emerald TAFE Branch and the Mt Gravatt TAFE Branch workplaces to the Loganlea TAFE Branch. The resulting branches will be named Central Queensland CQU TAFE Branch and Brisbane South TAFE Branch respectively. Additionally, the renaming of Mt Gravatt, the allocation of TAFE Queensland Online workplaces to the existing TAFE branch and reallocation of the associated TAFE Council position to represent those members was approved. The administrative processes needed to implement the changes are underway and members will be notified of the formal change when the “paperwork” is done.
This means that there will be a single executive for each new branch, made up of an Honorary President, Honorary Vice-President and Honorary Secretary, and each will have Workplace Representatives across all workplaces.
There is no change to the current representation of Emerald and Rockhampton TAFE members at QTU TAFE Council and TAFE Executive, as both existing TAFE branches are currently represented by a single TAFE Council position, and that position will not change. The incumbent for that position is Andy Abbas, who is also a member of the TAFE Executive.
Mt Gravatt members will be represented at TAFE Council by the existing Loganlea TAFE Council position and will lose its separate TAFE Council position. The incumbent for the current Loganlea TAFE Council position is Penne Amiet, who will now represent both Mt Gravatt and Loganlea workplaces as Brisbane South TAFE.
This allows for the Mt Gravatt branch to be renamed and allocated to TAFE Queensland Online workplaces and members and the existing Mt Gravatt TAFE Council position to be allocated to the representation of that renamed TQOL TAFE Branch. The TQOL TAFE Council position will be advertised in the next edition of the Queensland Teachers’ Journal.
Further consultation with a number of other TAFE branches will continue, to ascertain the most appropriate structures and representational models to ensure that the interests and voices of our members across the state are heard.