The crucial clause in the enterprise agreement continues says union

Last month Federal Court Judge Vasta found James Cook U had unlawfully dismissed scientist Peter Ridd, because his criticism of university research was covered by a clause in the old enterprise agreement, protecting academic speech (CMM April 18). However, in an opinion piece in The Australian (April 26) Dr Ridd warned that “the vital sentence about the supremacy of intellectual freedom,” is deleted from the new agreement.”

Not so, says the National Tertiary Education Union’s Michael McNally, JCU members refused to see it removed. “The intellectual freedom clause remains unchanged in the new agreement, and the provisions of clause 14 that Justice Vasta used as the basis for finding the sacking unlawful are likewise unchanged.”