NSW: Students should be taught about unions - Robertson
SYDNEY, Aug 21 AAP - NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson today defended a planto teach school students about trade unionism, saying unions have an impact on the typeof society students will live in.
The NSW Education Department has approved the inclusion of studies about the role oftrade unionism in its 2004 high school curriculum.
Students will learn about such things as the role of unions and casual jobs as partof the Work Education and Commerce subjects in Years 7-10.
"We teach a whole series of things about history at school, and frankly the trade unionmovement has been around for over 100 years in Australia," Mr Robertson said.
"It's made a huge contribution to our society, certainly in regards to things likeworking hours, overtime, annual leave, long service leave, the things people takes forgranted.
"These things impact on the kind of society we have and frankly I think its appropriatethat people learn the history of those issues."
Mr Robertson said students were studying more vocational courses and needed to be awareof what they are entitled to once they start working.
"This is a proposal that the Labor Council has been pushing for about 15 years, tohave kids taught about trade unions from a historical perspective," he said.
"They should also be made aware of unions and their rights to join, and other rightsin the workplace."
AAP wf/cjh/de
KEYWORD: UNIONISM
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