Teachers’ office protest
Teachers’ office protest
June 25, 2009
Section: News
WARREN JONES
About 100 TAFE teachers crammed into Member for Wollongong Noreen Hay’s Wollongong offices last week, upping the ante in an ongoing pay dispute with the Department of Education and Training.
The teachers, who stopped work to come from campuses in Wollongong, Dapto and Nowra, were livid at the the DET’s offer to give TAFE teachers a pay rise only if they agree to work an extra 57 hours per year.
Chanting and making impassioned speeches, the teachers crammed into the corridor leading to Ms Hay’s office and handed her office workers copies of the same letter, angling for state intervention into the dispute.
Business teacher and Teachers Federation representative at West Wollongong TAFE Kerry Stratton said in the long run it is the students who will suffer if the proposal goes ahead.
“The forgotten people in all of this are the students- our students are going to miss out,” she said.
Ms Stratton said the plans will put part-time teachers out of work, which will deny the system experienced teachers ready to step up when others retire.
West Wollongong Campus Hairdressing teacher Gina Benson echoed those worries.
The said part-time teachers are an important part of her department.
“Part-Time teachers are our link to industry, because they are still in the industry- they have the currency,” she said.
Ms Benson said she believes the campaign will force an outcome if its intensity keeps up.
“If we stick to this campaign we will get somewhere,” she said.
A DET representative has said the matter has been referred to the Industrial Relations Commission.
“Under the (new) pay agreement, work reforms were required from school and TAFE teachers to offset additional salary increases, (above the 2.5 per cent provided by the NSW Government in the last State budget) delivered under the award,” he said.
“Consistent with the TAFE Teachers Award agreed with the Teachers Federation, this matter has now sought assistance from the New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission to resolve this matter.”
