CPSU funding cuts
In July, members of the Community and Public Sector Union ACT branch rejected a proposal by the union's national officers that the national union take over the organising of major agencies currently covered by the ACT branch. In a letter to delegates, Wendy Caird, CPSU joint national secretary, has now announced that the proposal is going ahead as a trial, which "will be evaluated in consultation with the branch and delegates".
ACT branch executive member Val Edwards told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳: "It would seem that 'consultation' has taken on the same meaning for the CPSU's national office as it has for most employers: 'Listen, then we'll go ahead and do what we want we want anyway'."
High school drug raids
PERTH — WA police have carried out unannounced raids on five high schools in the last month, including South Fremantle Senior High School, Manjimup Senior High School and Keanan College.
The raids have involved students being removed from classes to be sniffed by dogs and, in Manjimup, the strip-searching of eight students. The police justified the strip searches by saying the students had admitted to smoking cannabis.