Teachers ramp up action

Parents face dilemma over late school starts

PARENTS around the state are scrambling to make arrangements for the care of their children as teachers at 152 Tasmanian schools prepare to walk off the job this week.

Teachers will turn up late to school after stop-work meetings in the state’s North and North-West tomorrow and in the South on Wednesday.

The onus is on individual schools to communicate with parents about the revised school starting time of 10.30am, and whether alternative care options are available.

Since news of the strike broke last week, school principals have used social media and newsletters to advise par- ents of the industrial action and how they’ll be affected.

Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations spokesman Nigel Jones condemned the action as hugely disruptive to parents and students.

He said parents had told him they were struggling to find people to look after their children and many in regional and rural areas would have to take the day off work.

However, teachers and parents including St Marys District School English teacher Lucie Ellis said most parents support the action.

“I’m doing this because I want to see my children get the education they need,” she said.

“I’ve been a teacher for 13 years and in that time there’s been drastic change … In 2014 we lost over 250 educators and that included pathway planners and teachers, and that was drastic for us.

“We were already overworked and stressed and then we had that cut and since then it’s just been ridiculous. It’s got to breaking point.”

Teachers are holding 45minute stop-work meetings as part of an industrial campaign for better wages and condi- tions. They have rejected a Government offer of 2 per cent a year for three years and an increase in teacher numbers.

An estimated 5600 teachers at public schools, colleges and TAFE are expected to take part in the industrial action.

Mr Jones said teachers should go back to the table to negotiate with the Government, which had promised an additional 250 teachers over the next six years in the 2018 State Budget.

“That’s a considerable amount of teachers coming into the system, which is really needed,” he said.

He supports the union’s call for a pay rise, but said it would be better achieved through negotiation.

According to the ANZSCO teachers’ salary calculator from 2010-2017, Tasmanian teachers commonly earn an annual salary of $50,000, compared to $68,000 in the ACT, $70,000 in WA and $80,000 in the NT.

Australian Education Union state manager Helen Richardson said the union would not back down from the planned strike action.

“We are still dealing with the legacy of the cuts [to teach- er numbers made] in 2014. Yes, the 250 teachers will go some way, but it is over six years and the need is now. It’s urgent,” she said.

“We acknowledge this is disruptive to students and families … we’re doing this for a better public education system.”

A statement from Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said: “This deliberately disruptive industrial action being taken by the AEU is extremely disappointing, considering the Government has offered the AEU a fair and affordable wages agreement which provides a 6 per cent pay rise over 3 years, and addresses key concerns about workload and class sizes.”

In 2014 we lost over 250 educators and that included pathway planners and teachers, and that was drastic for us

TEACHER LUCIE ELLIS