Victorian universities’ major Australia Day move

Some of Victoria’s biggest universities have made a major change to their policies on Australia Day.

Victorian universities will allow staff to work through the Australia Day public holiday.

Victorian universities will allow staff to work through the Australia Day public holiday to support First Nations people.

In a move that other institutions are set to discuss ahead of future January 26 commemorations, La Trobe University is reworking its current policies to give staff more flexibility over the contested summer public holiday.

The University of Melbourne will let staff substitute Australia Day with another day of “cultural or religious significance” throughout the year.

Meanwhile, RMIT and Federation Universities are in talks with its staff and key stakeholders about making future working arrangements more flexible.

A La Trobe spokeswoman said: “La Trobe supports this initiative and is pursuing this flexibility for our staff as part of a new Enterprise Agreement”.

Most Victorian universities officially regard January 26 as an official public holiday in line with federal government guidelines.

But institutions have acknowledged that the day has painful associations with invasion for some Iindigenous people.

A University of Melbourne spokeswoman said the university was considering changes to recognising the fixed Australia Day public holiday.

“The University of Melbourne currently observes the Australia Day public holiday but appreciates that some members of our community would prefer not to recognise 26 January in this way,” she said.

An RMIT spokeswoman said: “We will discuss with our staff and stakeholders to ensure any change to our approach continues to reflect our community’s diverse perspectives and RMIT’s commitment to reconciliation and support for First Nations People”.

The University of Wollongong, located about 80 kms from Sydney’s CBD, announced in early January that staff could choose to work on January 26 if they preferred.

The union in April negotiated a new three-year national workplace agreement, which pushed for flexibility around Australia Day at several universities.

National Tertiary Education Union national president Alison Barnes called on all universities to give staff the choice of having an alternative day off.

“Community feeling has shifted and universities should recognise that,” Dr Barnes said.

“Universities stand on what always was and always will be Aboriginal land. Sovereignty was never ceded.

“Many people in our community and the higher education sector don’t want to mark the anniversary of genocide, dispossession and suffering with a public holiday.”

References to specific public holidays have been removed from the Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) most recent enterprise agreement.

Swinburne University does not plan or promote celebrations on Australia Day on campus.

“For many in the Swinburne community, 26 January is a day of mourning that represents the trauma of invasion, and for others it represents an opportunity to promote understanding, respect and reconciliation,” a spokesman said.

“We observe 26 January as a national public holiday declared by the Australian government. Any changes to that practice would occur only after discussion with our community.”

A Victoria University spokeswoman said the institution was committed to respecting First Nations perspectives, but the university would be closed on January 26.