Teachers claim parents support their strike action in long-running pay dispute

Frustrated teachers and public sector workers will walk off the job in Hobart and Launceston today amid a worsening wages dispute with the State Government. SEE THE LATEST SCHOOL CLOSURES

UPDATED: Frustrated teachers and public sector workers will walk off the job in Hobart and Launceston amid a worsening wages dispute with the State Government.

Unions expect thousands of public staff to take part in stop-work meetings today.

Great #solidarity across the public sector: nurses, teachers, firefighters, paramedics, child protection officers, parks and wildlife officers, allied health professionals and much more united for quality public services and fair pay. #PayFair #TassieNeedsAPayRise #politas pic.twitter.com/zh7CLog9bp

— AEU Tasmania (@aeutasmania) April 2, 2019

The two-day industrial campaign began in the North-West on Tuesday, where teachers left work early and forced more than 30 schools to close.

“We understand that it is a disruption for parents, but the parents who take their children into school every day see the work their teachers and support staff are doing,” Australian Education Union (AEU) state manager Roz Madsen said.

STRIKE ACTION TO CLOSE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE

SEE THE LIST OF SCHOOL CLOSURES

Public bus drivers in the North-West also took industrial action, affecting about 50 services around Burnie.

Stop-work meetings will be held in Launceston in the morning and Hobart in the afternoon.

About 100 schools are expected to be affected across Tasmania. Public sector workers have been at loggerheads with the Hodgman Government for the best part of a year over pay and conditions.

The AEU Tasmania branch on Monday rejected the Government’s latest pay offer of seven per cent over three years.

The AEU wants a pay rise of three per cent per year.

The government’s latest pay offer is 0.25 per cent higher than its previous offer.

— AAP

EARLIER: TASMANIA’S striking teachers say the community is still backing its long fight for better wages and conditions despite children’s class time being affected for the second time.

At a stop-work rally in Burnie on Tuesday, teachers were joined by firefighters, health workers and other public servants to push their case for a better wage deal from the State Government.

“We understand the disruption to students and parents but they also want to see our workloads reduced and better educational outcomes for their chidlren,” Australian Education Union state manager Roz Madsen said.

She said teachers who attended the two-hour stopwork rally would have their pay docked.

A Government email shows other workers are also being financially penalised for walking off the job.

The stop-work action in the North-West saw 36 schools close early with some sending students home at 1pm and others teaching until 2.30pm.

HUGE turnout at Burnie, close to 1000!

Hands up to stick together and keep up the action until @WillHodgman listens, pays fair and accepts our solutions for good public services and quality education for all! #politas #ausunions #payfair #TassieNeedsAPayRise pic.twitter.com/WL25OQvThI

— AEU Tasmania (@aeutasmania) April 2, 2019

The industrial action will spread to Launceston and Hobart on Wednesday.

A meeting involving all public sector unions will be held at Hobart Town Hall at 2.30pm.

“The Government is sweating. It’s time to turn up the heat again,” the union flyer for the meeting says.

Teachers are taking industrial action after the AEU’s state executive rejected a revised Government pay offer.

TEACHERS REJECT GOVERNMENT’S 11TH-HOUR PAY OFFER

Treasurer Peter Gutwein urged the unions to call off their action and take the revised offer to members for a secret ballot.

“The deliberate disruption to public services, the closure of schools and the refusal by the AEU to allow members to properly consider the new wages offer shows this week’s strikes are all about union grandstanding and supporting Federal Labor’s election campaign,” Mr Gutwein said.

“The AEU bosses have taken a deliberate decision to impact on the provision of essential services – the learning of students – and to inconvenience families for political reasons. Their actions are unacceptable and unfair to Tasmanians who have a right to expect schools to be open and public services available.”

Treasurer Peter Gutwein accused the education union of inconveniencing families for political reasons.

Unions say Tasmanian teachers would continue to be the lowest paid in the nation under the new offer which includes pay rises totalling 7 per cent over three years.

Mr Gutwein said it was fair, addressed teacher workload concerns, hired more staff and supported principals.

CPSU general secretary Tom Lynch said public servants should not, and could not, accept a wage rise lower than the increase in the cost of living.

“This nine-month campaign for a fair wage has been draining. If the Government put a fair offer on the table tomorrow we would lock it in. But instead the Government is trading in threats and intimidation and we are calling their bluff,” Mr Lynch said.

Labor’s Josh Willie called on the Government to urgently resolve the dispute.

“Teachers want to make a difference in the lives of young people — the last thing they want to do is take industrial action,” Mr Willie said.

“But the fact is they have been left with no choice.”