MORE than 400 teachers and support staff descended on the office of Member for Eastern Victoria Region Edward O’Donohue on Wednesday morning, as Casey teachers fought for better pay and working conditions.
Disheartened and angry teachers from across the region joined forces with Australian Education Union (AEU) representatives and chanted “one term Ted” as negotiations broke down between the teachers’ union and the State Government.
It was a sea of red in front of Mr O’Donohue’s office in Pakenham as teachers from Cranbourne West Primary School, Berwick Chase Primary School, Alkira Secondary College, Fountain Gate Primary School, Tooradin Primary School, Dandenong Valley SDS, Fleetwood Primary School and others took the morning off to strike.
Lisa Bull from Cranbourne West Primary School said there were a number of obstacles in the negotiations.
“We are losing a lot of our support staff,” she said.
“The conditions are dwindling, and there is a great need in our area for specialist teachers and support staff.”
AEU Victorian Branch Deputy President for the Primary Sector, James Rankin, said the government had promised to make Victorian teachers the highest paid in the nation.
“Shame on the State Government for effectively making a commitment and going back on it,” he said.
Rachel Davis from Tooradin Primary School said she attended the stop work meet on behalf of all teachers in the state.
“Performance pay would erode the education system,” she said.
Ms Davis said Victorian teachers produced some of the highest results and they had a great working relationship with their students.
Sam Thomson from Fleetwood Primary School said he attended the strike to help secure the future of teachers. Rob Olsen from Berwick Chase Primary School said he also wanted to support fellow teachers that were struggling with the demands.
Mr O’Donohue didn’t speak to the crowd but said the government was disappointed that the teachers’ union had broken off negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA).
“The government has put an offer to teachers which would make the best performing teachers in Victoria the best paid in the country, through a combination of a 2.5 per cent wage increase for all teachers, and a performance bonus system which would benefit 70 per cent of all eligible teachers,” he said.
“The teachers’ union refuses to acknowledge that performance should have an impact on remuneration, arguing that both excellent and poor teachers should progress up the salary scale at the same rate.”
Mr O’Donohue said under the government’s offer, the top performing teachers in Victoria would become the best-paid teachers in Australia.
He said the union had introduced a work ban by instructing its members to refuse to write comments on student reports.
“The government is deeply concerned that the teachers’ union has implemented this ban, which disrupts and punishes students and their families,” Mr O’Donohue said.
“The government remains open to negotiations with the teachers’ union in order to achieve a financially responsible settlement, and to this end we urge the union to return to the negotiating table. “
Mr Rankin urged teachers to “stay strong” in their campaign and said the negotiations were expected to continue well into next year.
