Tasmanian schools to close as teachers walk off job in pay dispute with government

UPDATED: The state’s public school teachers will walk off the job next week as part of a public-sector-wide stoppage in support of a bid for better pay and conditions. READ THE EDITORIAL

UPDATED: THE state’s public school teachers will walk off the job next week as part of a public-sector-wide stoppage in support of a bid for better pay and conditions.

Australian Education Union members including teachers, support staff and principals in schools and managers in TAFE will join thousands of other public sector workers at stop-work meetings around the state next Tuesday and Wednesday.

They are seeking pay increases and improvements to working conditions.

EDITORIAL: DISPUTE HAS RUN TOO LONG

They will be joined by rangers, librarans, Service Tasmania staff, paramedics, child safety officers, nurses, biosecurity inspectors, firefighters, school business managers, correction officers, policy analysts, medical orderlies and others, who have all rejected a government pay offer.

Australian Education Union state manager Roz Madsen said schools would close during the meetings: those in the state’s North-West will close on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 2; those in the North during the morning of Wednesday, April 3; and the stop-work action in the south will take place on the afternoon of April 3.

Ms Madsen said lengthy negotiations had not produced a favourable result in the long-running dispute and the deadline had passed for a State Government response on a counter offer from the teachers union.

Roz Madsen, AEU Tasmania state manager, announces plans for further industrial action following the State Government’s failure to meet a deadline and respond to a revised pay offer for teachers. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

“Unfortunately there was no communication from the Government — the time came and went at 5pm on Monday,” she said.

“As a result of that and we were very clear with our counter offer that in the absence of significant improvement in that offer that we would be significantly escalating industrial action.

“We will be joining the other public sector unions for stop-work action across the

state on the 2nd and 3rd of April and that will mean that schools will need to close again.”

The Education Department is expected to advise parents regarding the timing of school closures by the end of this week.

The government has revived its pay offer of a flat 2 per cent pay rise a year over three years to 2, 2.25 and 2.5 per cent. Teachers want 3 per cent.

Large stop-work meetings will be held in regional centres involving all affected public servants.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said he was disappointed schools would be affected by industrial action.

“The union’s direction does not represent good faith negotiations and shows a complete disregard for students and their parents.

“Parents will be informed on Friday of these arrangements by their school.

“We have already put a range of offers to the AEU and continue to negotiate in good faith. “Threatening to close schools and disrupt learning while negotiations are scheduled is an indictment on the AEU’s leadership who seem intent on causing as much political disruption in the lead-up to the federal election.”

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie said the Government could have headed off the industrial action by negotiating realistically.

“The Premier’s behaviour and his Minister’s patronising treatment of his workforce over the past nine months have now reached a flashpoint where teachers have no option but to take action,” Mr Willie said.

“Teachers do not take this action lightly and, if anything, they would prefer to avoid it.

“But Premier Hodgman has wilfully pushed them into a corner and Minister Rockliff can no longer claim that wage negotiations are out of his hands.”

The next talks between the Government and unions are scheduled for this Friday.

Ms Madsen said the teachers union did not hold high hopes for a late breakthrough.

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EARLIER: THE state’s public school teachers will walk off the job next week as part of a public service stop-work campaign in support of a bid for better pay and conditions.

Australian Education Union state manager Roz Madsen said schools would close during these stop-work meetings.

UNIONS ON ATTACK AFTER GOVERNMENT MISSES DEADLINE

Schools in the state’s North-West will close in the afternoon on Tuesday, April 2; those in the North during the morning of Wednesday, April 3, and the stop-work action in the South will take place on the afternoon of April 3.

Roz Madsen from the Australian Education Union with union representatives at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Ms Madsen said lengthy negotiations had not produced a favourable result in the long running dispute and the deadline had passed for a State Government response on a counter offer from the teachers union.

The Education Department is expected to advise parents regarding the timing of school closures by the end of this week.

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Large stop-work meetings will be held in regional centres involving public servants, including teachers, nurses, health workers, park rangers, correctional officers and others.

The next talks between the government and unions are scheduled for this Friday.

Ms Madsen said the teachers union did not hold high hopes for a late breakthrough.

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