Al Siraat College staff set to strike over low wages, maternity leave

Staff at an Islamic college in Epping are set to strike over claims they are being paid up to $9000 less than teachers at other schools, getting fewer sick days and no maternity pay. The “insulting” conditions led to more than 20 walkouts last year.

Teaches have put their hands up to strike at Al Siraat College in Epping.

Teachers at an independent school in Epping are preparing to walk out of classrooms amid claims they are being paid $9000 less than equals at other schools.

At a meeting on June 19, teachers at Al Siraat College voted to take industrial action after the fourth round of bargaining this year failed.

The Leader spoke with three teachers at the Islamic school — who all requested to remain anonymous — who claimed their yearly wages were between $2500 and $9000 below staff with the same level of experience at other schools.

A meeting held at the school outlined future construction, frustrating staff. Picture: George Salpigtidis

A strike is being planned should negotiations continue to fail at the start of the next term.

The staff at Al Siraat don’t receive paid maternity leave and only about one third the amount of sick leave as other teachers.

There are also fears that pay rises will be tied to performance evaluations and not automatic yearly upgrades, as is standard.

One teacher said they would leave the school at the end of the year if an agreement was not met.

“The longer you stay in a place like this, the more you think the job isn’t worth it because you’re not valued,” the teacher said.

“I teach the kids to fight for their rights and now I have to do that myself.”

Another teacher said the school’s principal Fazeel Arain had held a meeting on June 20 to outline new buildings and playgrounds to be built at the school, further dismaying staff who felt they were being underpaid.

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That teacher said they were earning about $70,000 annually, well below the $79,000 an equivalent would earn in a government school.

“Is (the school) concerned about losing great teachers?” the teacher said.

“We had about 25 leave last year.”

Mr Arain said he hoped negotiations wouldn’t lead to a teacher strike.

“We have carefully considered all claims by staff and made an offer that provides appropriate conditions in accordance with all of our obligations as a responsible employer,” he said. “We have negotiated in good faith.”

Figures from My School indicate that the school earned $18,023 of net income per student in 2017, well ahead of the $12,409 nearby Epping Secondary College made.

Those figures are a combination of government funding, school fees and private donations.

Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania organiser Simon Schmidt said the school was not prepared to budge on negotiations.

“Teacher pay at Al Siraat has fallen further and further behind government schools over recent years, and under the College’s proposal this will only get worse,” he said.

“The message we keep getting from teachers is that the College’s offer is an insult, and that they have to stand up for what is right.”