Frequently Asked Questions

Whats the big deal about A Single General Staff Union at the University of Sydney


The PSA covers a broad spectrum of areas how will it represent my interests as a general staff member as well?

At the moment the PSA has around 3,500 general staff members in New South Wales, after the changeover with HAREA it is expected that this will increase to around 7,000 members. This would make general staff members the biggest block of members in the PSA. The PSA will also be committing extra resources and staff to Sydney University to service the increase in members, with at least one full-time staff members exclusively looking after Sydney University members.

The PSA also has a range of structures which allow members to consult with PSA staff on emergent and continuing issues in their area. For general staff one of the most Important si the Higher Education Representative Committee or HERC. HERC allows general staff members, through their delegates, to talk with delegates form other universities and raise issues directly with PSA industrial staff. The PSA also has specialist industrial officers who work exclusively in higher education who are up to date with developments across the sector. PSA general staff members and their delegates then have their own autonomy but also have the support and resources of the broader organisation.

I was a member of HAREA and their fees are much lower then the PSA. Why is there a difference?

The PSA fees lie in the middle of the range of fees for unions. HAREA fees on the other hand are very low, however HAREA has admitted that they will raise their fees substantially this year, so fees for ex-HAREA members would have risen anyway. For HAREA members joining the PSA the new fees will be phased in over a period of time so that the increase does not hit you all at once.

You should also remember that you get what you pay for. As a PSA member at the University of Sydney you will have access to a wide range of services and a full-time PSA staff member allocated exclusively to the University of Sydney.
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Doesn’t having all general staff and academics in one union give us a better chance to see some real change at Sydney University?

No, while there is certainly common ground between academic and general staff and on these areas we will certainly continue to cooperate, for example funding for higher education, the interests of general staff and academic staff do not always coincide. There are some issues, such as redundancies and cutbacks at Sydney University, where the interests of general staff may be in opposition to the academics. Remember, it is much easier to make a general staff member redundant than an academic.

General and academic staff interests will also differ because as members of one union general will only form a small group compared to a significant proportion of academics. When decisions have to be made about union policy it is likely that the general staff issues will be subsumed by the academics. As a general staff member it is much better to be a member of union, such as the PSA, which can fight for all the little groups.

If you have any questions about changes to union coverage or issues at Sydney University please contact one of the Sydney University PSA delegates.
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