AEU SA branch meeting declines to hear bullying, intimidation accusations

A teachers’ union accused of bullying and intimidation at its headquarters have voted against the issues to be raised at a meeting.

A motion has been blocked at union’s final branch meeting for the year that would have allowed delegates to discuss allegations of bullying and intimidation at its organisation headquarters.

The Australian Education Union SA branch council met on Saturday for the final meeting of the year where it was expected the allegations would come to a head.

However, attending delegates failed to secure enough votes to pass the motion that would have enabled the matters – raised by the Australian Services Union on behalf of the aggrieved staff who are its members – for discussion.

The AEU SA branch meeting failed to hear bullying, intimidation accusations.

It was the last opportunity for the matters to be discussed and potentially resolved this year, with the next branch meeting not due until March 2025.

“The attempts at discussion were shut down,” one insider told The Advertiser.

“Not all delegates were supportive – it was not a unanimous decision.”

It is understood some delegates were not convinced the complaints were their business and so voted against allowing it to be opened for discussion.

The AEU SA branch council meets once a school term.

The union president and its two vice-presidents are elected to two-year terms while the branch secretary is elected to three-year terms.

The next branch secretary election is due in 2026.

The AEU SA branch executive is due to next meet on Monday, December 2.

The Advertiser previously reported three senior AEU SA officers were suspended in July after they raised concerns about conflicts of interest and managerial practices.

Three more staff members then left allegedly citing bullying and intimidation.

A letter from the ASU to Mr Cherry says the union is writing “to formally lodge a complaint regarding the ongoing bullying and harassment experienced by workers within our union.”

A 40 page annexure lists specific and detailed grievances by 12 staff members, including being yelled at, emails containing threats of dismissal, “mysterious” dismissals of staff, belittling of staff, unrealistic demands, a “toxic atmosphere” and orders not to have “quiet conversations” with colleagues.

“The number of individuals who report feeling this way would be of concern to any employer,” the letter states.

“Considering the volume of concerns raised and the number of impacted members, we invite an agreed third-party independent investigator to be engaged to commence an investigation into the concerns reported.”

One staff member’s grievance states a senior staff member’s behaviour has “caused me to feel anxious and unsafe at work. I do not know who is going to be targeted next. I have been diagnosed with a medical condition which has been brought on by work stress.”

The AEU SA branch executive was contacted for comment.