AUS and ASTE merge to form united tertiary union

Workers from New Zealand's polytechnics and universities have formed a new united tertiary education union to increase their impact in the sector.

The new Tertiary Education Union (TEU) is an amalgamation of the Association of University Staff (AUS) and the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education (ASTE) and will bring together over 11,000 academic and general staff members from both unions.

ASTE president Tangi Tipene says the new union will campaign strongly in the coming months and years for a vibrant national public tertiary education sector.

"We will be a strong voice, not just for workers, but also for our belief in the important role that public education plays in our communities and for the right of New Zealanders to have access to high quality, internationally regarded tertiary education and research."

AUS President Maureen Montgomery says workers in polytechnics, wananga and universities share common interests and face common challenges.

"The TEU will bring together workers from across the entire tertiary sector. We will have a louder, more coherent and persuasive voice. That unity and shared purpose will be more important that ever in the years ahead."