‘TAFE SA cannot be trusted’: TAFE staff to strike over unfair working conditions

TAFE teachers converged at Parliament House to rally on Thursday after voting to strike over their new employment agreement.

TAFE SA staff members packed onto the steps of Parliament House on Thursday, demanding action in a dispute over their new employment agreement.

About 70 people attended the rally – part of a full-day strike – following concerns TAFE SA reneged on rollover terms in their enterprise bargaining agreement.

The Australian Education Union has also taken issue with TAFE’s proposal to change a redeployment, retraining and redundancy clause and minimum qualification requirements.

State president Andrew Gohl told teachers they had been treated with “utter contempt”.

“We started enterprise bargaining 18 months ago. In the middle of that, TAFE decided it would be a good idea to get rid of education managers and of course we knew that would have a significant impact on workloads,” Mr Gohl said.

“It sets a dangerous precedent when the employer ignores the enterprise agreement and fails to consult.”

Treasurer Rob Lucas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Other proposed changes include making the organisation’s chief executive – rather than TAFE SA itself – the “employer”.

“Is (this) because the agenda is about privatising TAFE? It certainly looks like that,” Mr Gohl said.

Mr Gohl said it appeared TAFE SA was trying to “quietly push through” changes in the agreement and was attempting to sideline the AEU as a signatory.

Treasurer Rob Lucas said only about 100 of TAFE SA’s 1300 staff members participated in the strike, showing an “overwhelming” lack of interest.

“The union bosses called a revolt and nobody came, which proves this whole exercise was nothing more than a pre-election political stunt designed to get ex-union boss Mr Malinauskas elected on Saturday,” he said.

Mr Lucas earlier this week said: “This is an agreement that 88 per cent of TAFE employees voted for.”