This year ends with the international student market in fine shape, a far cry from the dark days of 2020 and 2021.
According to English Australia figures, year-to-date ELICOS commencements were up by more than 166 per cent, and overall enrolments increased by 232 per cent. Colombia is still a huge growth area, with increases of more than 500 per cent (or 16,454 students), while numbers of students from Brazil rose by 147 per cent. Numbers from China and Thailand also showed large growth.
There were signs this post-pandemic growth might be slowing, however, with visa applications edging down slightly.
The huge increase in students has not been without its problems though, not least in the housing sector, as thousands of international students join locals for dwindling housing stocks in Australia’s major cities.
This, along with quality concerns about some VET colleges, has led the government to introduce additional (and long overdue) governance requirements, which will hopefully allow the nation to keep enjoying the benefits of our long-running international student programs, while mitigating exploitation.
Real unions versus fake unions
In recent years, established trade unions such as the IEU have had to contend with competition from would-be alternative unions. Members and other workers in the sector should be extremely wary of any such organisations.
The IEU is a genuine and legally constituted trade union and, as such, it is formally registered and subject to the regulations of the Fair Work Act, giving it standing to appear before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) and legal protection to act on behalf of any member in the sector.
The IEU, like all unions, publishes detailed and audited statements, and we only ever act in the best interests of our members.
By contrast, fake unions are just that, organisations set up under the banner of a ‘union’ but not subject to the same regulatory requirements. Typically, these fake unions are registered companies, often run for profit, and so there are huge questions about where their true interests lie. Such organisations do not have any legal right of entry to workplaces, nor can they represent their members in tribunals such as the FWC.
Many fake unions got started during the pandemic, and they were often fronts for groups that opposed vaccination. Closer inspection found several had links to the conservative side of politics, and that they often made extravagant promises to potential members (such as overturning vaccine mandates), promises they were never able to fulfill. In short, these organisations would happily take the money from their ‘members’, but only offer a fraction of the services that IEU members enjoy.
Should you become aware of any such outfit operating in your workplace, we urge you to get in touch with your genuine union, the IEU, and let us know.
Season’s greetings
This will be the final edition of Present Tense for 2023, but we’ll be back better than ever in 2024. The IEU wishes all members a wonderful festive season, and all the best for the coming year.