Universities have a long way to go before achieving equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students.
What we can win
Improvements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members including a definition of kinship leave, cultural, intellectual property and copyright, and strengthening of existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clauses.
Why it is important
We’re calling for stronger, enforceable rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff across key areas of employment and cultural recognition. It ensures that universities move from aspirational policy statements to binding industrial commitments that protect and respect Indigenous workers.
This is about justice, respect, and leadership. Universities are public institutions that should model cultural safety and integrity. When they fail to recognise Indigenous knowledge systems, family structures, and cultural obligations, they fail their staff and students.
Strengthening these provisions ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are central to the life and governance of our institutions.
FAQs
We already have reconciliation and diversity policies
Policies without enforceable rights don’t deliver justice. This claim ensures commitments are backed by concrete, enforceable provisions in the Agreement. It’s about accountability — not just aspiration.
Kinship leave is too hard to define or manage
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship systems are well understood and already recognised in many agreements and public-sector policies. Defining kinship leave simply formalises what is already standard in culturally safe workplaces. It provides clarity, consistency, and respect — not confusion.
Cultural and intellectual property isn’t an employment issue.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, cultural and intellectual property are central to their work; in research, teaching, and community engagement. Protecting these rights within the Agreement recognises their ownership, prevents exploitation, and aligns university practice with ethical standards.
SEE ALL THE PRIORITIES →
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