Teachers win breakthrough in public sector pay dispute

Public sector unions are hopeful there is an end in sight to 12 months of frustrated pay negotiations after teachers wrangled an improved offer.

AEU Tasmania branch president Helen Richardson, left, teacher and AEU executive member David Genford and AEU state manager Roz Madsen at the announcement of a new pay offer for teachers. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

PUBLIC sector unions are hopeful there is an end in sight to 12 months of frustrated pay negotiations after teachers wrangled an offer that would have some wages increase up to 8.5 per cent over three years.

The Australian Education Union looks set to be the first public sector union to accept a Government offer on pay and conditions after its executive this week endorsed an agreement that would have some teachers receive a 7.5 per cent increase and others 8.5 per cent over three years.

Part of the pay rise — at least 0.5 per cent for all teachers — would comprise cash payments, though Treasurer Peter Gutwein on Friday said he was not sure how much they would be worth.

“That’s been completely offset by savings measures,” Mr Gutwein said.

AEU executive member and teacher David Genford said the offer would be put to members in a confidential, online vote within the next few days.

His union has been locked in negotiations with the Government for about 10 months and has also secured commitments on conditions and workload.

“It’s great for us to have reached this point,” Mr Genford said.

“It would’ve been beneficial to have reached it earlier but our members were active, they showed that they meant they wanted to be respected and they wanted to see the best staff recruited.”

Speaking at an Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation rally in Hobart, Community and Public Sector Union state secretary Tom Lynch said the offer to the AEU was a “breakthrough”.

“The envelope that the Government has now agreed to — 7.5 to 8.5 per cent — is an envelope we can sit down and negotiate with them on,” Mr Lynch said.

The Health and CommunityServices Union and United Firefighters Union echoed hopes the teacher offer represented progress for public sector workers.

Mr Gutwein urged all unions to return to the negotiating table.

“I would encourage nurses and the broader public service, those working groups, to come back to the table and discuss the wage outcomes they are looking for and ways they can help the Government to fund them,” he said.