Solidarity statement with First Nations staff and students
The NTEU stand in support of First Nations staff and students at Melbourne Law School and elsewhere. We recognise the profoundly damaging effects institutional racism has on First Nations staff and students. Racism at work is a union issue. Anti racism needs to be situated firmly into workplace and education provisions.
“Eradicating racism requires more than just passively claiming to be non-racist – it requires anti-racism. This means actively standing up to and challenging racism.”[1]
“In 2021, 50% of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander respondents reported experiencing discrimination and/or harassment at work. In 2023, it has increased to almost 6 in 10.”[2]
Associate Dean and Professor Nareen Young from the University of Technology Sydney’s Jumbunna Institute refers to this as the “disturbing horror of what has become the daily situation for Indigenous people in Australia’s workplaces.”[3]
As stated by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous), Barry Judd of The University of Melbourne, “As an organisation we have to do better.”[4]
NTEU UniMelb branch support the demands of First Nations staff and students for a culturally safe campus and call on the executive and leadership of Melbourne Law School to start actioning those demands and publicly commit to them.
We call on members and other branches to stand in support of First Nations staff and students at Melbourne Law School and across campuses everywhere to eradicate racism and create a culturally safe campus.
We support the demands of the Open Letter to the Executive of the Dean of Melbourne Law School and the Executive Council of the University of Melbourne, and call on members to sign and share the open letter.
We call on members everywhere to support Fist Nations colleagues and students in their struggle for a safe workplace.
#Endracismatwork #JusticeatMelbourneLawSchool #endracismoncampus #Nteuvic #Nteu #FirstNationsJusticeonCampus @NTEUVictoria @NTEUUniMelb
[1] Diversity Council Australia (P. Anderson, V. Mapedzahama, A. Kaabel, and J. O’Leary)’ Racism at Work: How organisations can stand up to and end workplace racism’, Diversity Council Australia, 2022.
[2] Nareen Young and Joshua Gilbert ‘The Constant Questions: Comfort and safety for your First Nations employees in 2023’ Jumbunna Institute, University of Technology Sydney, https://www.dca.org.au/opinion-pieces/constant-questions-comfort-and-safety-your-first-nations-employees-2023 3rd July 2023.
[3] Nareen Young and Joshua Gilbert ‘The Constant Questions: Comfort and safety for your First Nations employees in 2023’ Jumbunna Institute, University of Technology Sydney, https://www.dca.org.au/opinion-pieces/constant-questions-comfort-and-safety-your-first-nations-employees-2023 3rd July 2023.
[4] Barry Judd ‘Indigenous cultural safety at the University of Melbourne’ email to all staff, 15th September 2023.