Teachers’ union deliver their verdict on strike action

Teachers have met with senior government officials, but a strike is still on the cards if their demands are not met by Thursday morning.

Teachers have given the state government an ultimatum, to come back to them with a better offer by Thursday morning or they will strike when face-to-face classes resume next week.

The Australian Education Union’s SA branch says a Covid testing regime for students and teachers remains a critical sticking point in averting industrial action by its members, potentially plunging the first day of school into chaos.

About two-thirds of some 7000 union members balloted on Tuesday, endorsed industrial action in protest about the lack of pandemic planning ahead of the school term.

AEU SA campaigns director Andrew Gohl said the union’s executive wanted a system of regular testing similar to the eastern states. The NSW government is saying teachers and students “should” have regular tests, and Victoria is strongly recommending twice-weekly tests.

The union put its concerns to SA’s chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier at a meeting at the AEU’s Parkside headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Gohl said industrial action remained “on foot”, with the union giving a government until 10am Thursday to respond to its demands.

“I think in our mind and I think in the minds of members, we still question the difference that exists between our eastern states neighbours and the position that exists here in South Australia,” he said.

“However further discusssions with the professor also seemed to indicate that they would try the use of RAT in particular sites, particularly those sites, for example where vaccination rates might be low.

“The use of rapid antigen testing remains an important plank for ensuring the virus does not spread.”

Mr Gohl emphasised the teachers’ ageing workforce and the impact of the virus on them and their families.

“The access to those tests, both students and staff, mean that we can spot those outbreaks as they occur earlier and that means there can be a quick response,” he said.

Mr Gohl said nothing the union had heard from Professor Spurrier had changed their intent to strike. He said the union wanted a written response from the government on Thursday to its demands before it will reconsider whether to again ballot members.

But he welcomed the announcement that an extra 3000 air purifiers would be provided to schools by next week.

Mr Gardner said, “The department has purchased a total of 4000 air purifiers that can be used in learning spaces where natural ventilation or air quality is impacted – such as in the instance of a bushfire or other environmental conditions. We’ve already sent a supply to schools, preschools and children’s centres in Port Pirie.

“We’ll continue working with our education sites across the state to safely maximise the natural air ventilation in classrooms, which is the recommendation of SA Health, and will ensure we have adequate supply of air purifiers to quickly deploy in circumstances where they might provide some level of benefit.”

STRIKE VOTE

Nearly two-thirds of members balloted by the Australian Education Union on Monday voted to strike on February 2 in protest at what they say is a lack of Covid-safe planning when some face-to-face classes commence.

Education Minister John Gardner, who did not address if the government would trial RATs in certain schools, said the union should “rethink” its position.

“The government has listened to the health advice when determining our educational settings throughout the pandemic, and we believe that it is the right course of action to continue to do so,” he said, in an emailed statement to The Advertiser.

“As the union acknowledges in their public statement, the government and the department for Education have worked extremely hard to ensure that concerns and anxieties raised by staff have been addressed.”

He said the government “strongly encouraged” the union to “reflect on the health advice over the public holiday”.

Australian Education Union SA branch’s campaigns director Andrew Gohl.

Minister for Education John Gardner. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Surveillance testing

Premier Steven Marshall had earlier told a press conference that he hoped the meeting with Professor Spurrier would go “a long way” to resolve issues with teachers.

“We are in respectful negotiations – the union put 18 or 19 issues that they wanted to address, we responded to them earlier in the week, they’ve got that information now,” he said.

“That ballot was open well before all the issues had been finalised and I am hopeful that this afternoon we can have a successful meeting with Professor Spurrier and provide them with all the information they have been asking for.

“We don’t support the strike and we are doing everything we can to avert that strike. Not every teacher in the state voted”.

Mr Marshall repeated the health advice he had received from national and state public health officers, saying that RAT tests could give a false sense of security, and there was “no medical reason for this in South Australia whatsoever”.

Mr Marshall said surveillance testing in a childcare setting was different, as staff and children have closer contact.

The government’s return-to-school policy includes a staggered return to face-to-face teaching across all years, mask wearing for most students and a changed ruling over what is a close contact. RAT tests will also be available for teachers and students where required.