AEU gives update on SA teachers’ enterprise bargaining negotiations

Teachers and the SA government are inching closer to a new agreement on pay and conditions – but a key sticking point remains.

The teachers union is standing firm on its demands for an “upfront” pay rise of more than eight per cent as negotiations with the state government drag on.

In a statement released late on Wednesday Australian Education Union SA branch president Andrew Gohl said the government’s latest offer “still falls short” and the union was seeking a revised offer by October 23.

A key sticking point centres on how long it will take to give all teachers an extra hour away from the classroom to plan lessons each week.

The government had offered to phase in the increased non-instruction time (NIT) over seven years but the union wants it done within two years.

This could mean teachers would be entitled to financial compensation if the government could not ensure enough staff to cover the extra hour of NIT each week.

Mr Gohl said a seven-year wait was “unacceptable” and the amount of NIT teachers get – which varies depending on their experience and the age of students – had not increased in more than a decade.

The teachers strike at Parliament House on September 1. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The government and union have been locked in tense negotiations for months.

On September 1 thousands of educators walked off the job and rallied at Parliament House.

The strike action closed 167 schools, affecting about 62,000 students, and forced educators to modify lessons at another 152 campuses.

The AEU is seeking a pay rise of 8.64 per cent in the first year of a new three-year agreement, backdated to May, and 5.5 per cent increases for the following two years.

The government has offered 3 per cent a year.

Mr Gohl said that was not enough to address the rising cost of living and attract and retain more teachers.

“When NSW teachers are being awarded average increases of eight per cent South Australia should aspire to more than getting off the bottom of the league table,” Mr Gohl said.

“We now risk losing talent to other states and territories.”

Mr Gohl said the SA government had increased concessions in its latest budget by 8.64 per cent to keep financial support in line with inflation.

During negotiations the government has offered other incentives like permanency for principals and preschool directors and a ‘right to disconnect’ for all teachers outside work hours.

Education Minister Blair Boyer has said he understands teacher workloads have increased considerably, and student behaviour and learning needs are more complex.

However, he has warned the government could not afford to meet all of the union’s initial demands, which would have cost more than $1bn a year on top of any wage increases.

A government spokeswoman said it had been “negotiating in good faith with AEU and will continue to do so”.

“We are pleased to have made significant progress,” she said, adding the government offer provided “improved conditions, higher pay and a workload reduction”.