Education Department announces schools closing ahead of 11th-hour pay meeting with teachers

UPDATED: More than 130 public schools will shut next week as teachers walk off the job in protest against the Government’s pay offer. SEE THE LIST OF SOUTHERN SCHOOL CLOSURES

Roz Madsen, Australian Education Union State Manager. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

UPDATED: MORE than 130 public schools will shut next week as teachers walk off the job in protest against the Government’s pay offer, which was revised up slightly on Friday in return for increased efficiencies.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein offered public sector unions a 7 per cent pay rise over three years, composed of a 2 per cent rise in the first year and 2.5 per cent increases in the second and third years. It was an improvement of a total 0.25 per cent on the previous offer and was projected to cost the Government an extra $70 million.

“… obviously to meet this we’ll need to find other savings and efficiencies measures,” Mr Gutwein said.

“We have moved, and it is incumbent upon unions to take this offer to their members and meet us halfway.”

Treasurer Peter Gutwein and Premier Will Hodgma. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

The Australian Education Union said it was yet to receive a formal letter of offer from the Government by Friday evening — meaning it would proceed with stop-work meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This will result in 136 public schools starting late or closing early. An email circulated to principal union members on Friday afternoon encouraged those in schools listed as remaining open to “join the stop work meetings and boost participation”.

Union state manager Roz Madsen blasted Friday’s 14-minute meeting with Mr Gutwein and Premier Will Hodgman as a “complete waste of time” after the Education Department published on its website a list of schools expected to close half an hour before negotiations kicked off.

“If the Government’s serious about not disrupting families and children attending school next week, why would they be shutting schools and announcing that on the department’s website half an hour before we even got to the meeting,” Ms Madsen said.

Other public sector unions will hold stop-work meetings next week.

Health and Community Services Union state secretary Tim Jacobs said the trade-offs asked of workers — in addition to previous requested efficiencies, including fewer public holidays — were unfair.

“Our members aren’t stupid, they’ve done the sums, and even on the previous offer most of them are worse off than the 2 per cent that was previously there,” Mr Jacobson said.

EARLIER: PUBLIC sector unions are unimpressed with the State Government’s revised wage offer of 7 per cent over three years — an increase of just 0.25 per cent on its previous proposal — in return for increased savings elsewhere.

Unions met with the Government this morning for just 14 minutes to discuss the incoming offer. They said they were yet to receive a formal revised wages offer.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein said individual agreements would be sent to unions later today.

“This is the second improvement in the headline pay rise figure we have put to unions, and on top of that we are continuing to offer a range of improved terms and conditions, as well as employing more public servants to deliver services and reduce workloads on current staff,” Mr Gutwein said.

“To date, unions are yet to reduce their original claims and some are, in fact, continuing to increase their claims.”

The Australian Education Union said it was disappointed the Government had released a list of schools slated for closures ahead of the negotiation meeting.

EARLIER: THE State Government has announced more than 130 schools will start late or close early next week in response to planned stop work action from the Australian Education Union.

The Department of Education released the list of affected schools ahead of a government meeting with union representatives on pay and entitlements this morning.

AEU state manager Roz Madsen said this morning’s meeting with Premier Will Hodgman might have averted the stop-work action.

NEW PAY OFFER MIGHT HALT STOP-WORK ACTION

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“Teacher and other public sector union negotiators are due to meet with the Premier at 10am ... yet, in an extraordinary move, the Education Minister has already announced school closures,” Ms Madsen said.

“It shows that Will Hodgman was never serious about negotiations and hellbent on closing schools as part of political game playing.”

Teachers want a 3 per cent pay rise and improvements on some working conditions.

The Government has already offered some sweeteners to its pay offer, including a reduction in contact hours for primary school teachers and steps to reduce pressure on principals.

THE SOUTHERN SCHOOLS CLOSING EARLY:

• Albuera Street Primary School — 1.30pm
• Austins Ferry Primary School — 1.30pm
• Bagdad Primary School — 1pm
• Bayview Secondary College — 1.30pm
• Blackmans Bay Primary School — 1.30pm
• Brighton Primary School — 1pm
• Cambridge Primary School — 2pm
• Campbell Street Primary School — 2pm
• Claremont College — 2pm
• Clarence High School — 1.30pm
• Clarendon Vale Primary School — 1.30pm
• Cosgrove High School — 1pm
• Cygnet Primary School — 12.30pm
• Dodges Ferry Primary School — 1.30pm
• Early Childhood Intervention Service — Tasmania Hobart — 2pm
• Elizabeth College — 2.30pm
• Fairview Primary School — 1pm
• Glenora District School — 1pm
• Glenorchy Primary School — 1.30pm
• Goulburn Street Primary School — 2pm
• Hobart College — 2pm
• Huonville High School — 1.30pm
• Huonville Primary School — 1pm
• Howrah Primary School — 2pm
• Illawarra Primary School — 1.30pm
• JRLF — East Derwent Primary School — 1.30pm
• JRLF — Gagebrook Primary School — 1pm
• JRLF — Senior School — 1.30pm
• Kingston Primary School — 1.30pm
• Kingston High School — 2pm
• Lauderdale Primary School — 1pm
• Lenah Valley Primary School — 1.30pm
• Lindisfarne North Primary School — 1.30pm
• Lindisfarne Primary School — 1.30pm
• Margate Primary School — 2pm
• Molesworth Primary School — 1.30pm
• Moonah Primary School — 2pm
• Mount Nelson Primary School — 2pm
• Mount Stuart Primary School — 1.30pm
• Montrose Bay High School — 1.30pm
• New Norfolk High School — 1.30pm
• New Norfolk Primary School — 1pm
• New Town High School — 2pm
• New Town Primary School — 1.30pm
• Ogilvie High School — 2pm
• Princes Street Primary School — 2pm
• Risdon Vale Primary School — 2pm
• Rokeby Primary School — 1.30pm
• Rose Bay High School — 1.30pm
• Rosetta Primary School — 1:30pm
• Rosny College — 1.30pm
• Snug Primary School — 1pm
• Sorell School — 1.30pm
• South Arm Primary School — 1.30pm
• Springfield Gardens Primary School — 1.30pm
• Swansea Primary School — 2pm
• Taroona High School — 1.30pm
• Taroona Primary School — 2pm
• Tasman District School — 1.30pm
• Tasmanian eSchool — 1.30pm
• Waimea Heights Primary School — 2pm
• Warrane Primary School — 1.30pm
• Westerway Primary School — 12pm
• Windermere Primary School — 1.30pm
• Woodbridge School — 1pm