6 September 2006

Teachers reject latest pay offer and strike again

| Kerces
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The teacher pay saga is dragging on with another strike, across all electorates, held this morning.

The ABC reports hundreds of teachers turned up to the rally outside the Legislative Assembly, and it sure looked like a larger than usual turnout.

Late yesterday afternoon the Government put forward another pay offer, this time a 10.8 per cent rise over three years with less cuts in conditions. The union, however, rejected it and is still holding out for 12 per cent. In the small amount of time I was at the protest there was much grumbling about the way education minister Andrew Barr had gone about putting this offer — the woman speaking claimed he had effectively gone to the media first and called the union only just before the news bulletins.

Liberal education spokeswoman Vicki Dunne has also weighed into the debate, saying (predictably) the government has acted appallingly. In this morning’s Canberra Times, Mrs Dunne proposed a compromise deal of and 8 per cent rise over two years with re-negotiations starting in the next couple of years when the Government will have a bit more money. That seems to make sense to me.

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This is what happens when you amateur pretty boys in postions of authority (or hand them a poisoned chalice??) when they really have no practical experience of the subject matter. At least someone is making these twits that ‘run’ this town feel uncomfortable.

Vic, it may well be but could you accept 4% when you know at least 80 people will lose their jobs because of it?

I sure as hell couldn’t.

The fact that Barr has now changed it to “only secondary teachers” have to do the extra hours is a ploy and a bad tactic.

Teachers won’t agree to other teachers losing their jobs.

Vic Bitterman9:27 pm 06 Sep 06

I don’t think a 4% increase per year is stretching things. It’s about what everyone else gets in their certified agreements.

Curious that the Leg Ass loudly argue to increase their own numbers – poor dears, so hard done by – but want to make teachers’ lives a complete understaffed misery. Which will make many families’ lives a misery. They must be deaf dumb and stupid (oh the irony of calling their ‘vision’ 2020).

The “late” offer was full of shit. If Andrew Barr was serious, he could have offered it on Friday and had the AEU call emergency meetings or something to that like.

He’s finally realising that by pissing the teachers off, he’s pissing the parents off as well as pissing the parents off re: school closures.

Bring on the next election.

James-T-Kirk2:32 pm 06 Sep 06

I was having a chat with my missis (who is a teacher, and has voted Labor her *entire* life), and she will probably vote Green or Democrats next election. Liberals are scumbags, and the current Labor position is so close to the Libs that it is funny.

Anyway, and I *will* say it again.

Teachers – Your employer is hostile. They dont give a shit about you. You re supported in your schools, but the Govmit clearly wants a greenhouse more than they want you.

Either 1) leave. or 2) push for 9 – 12% this year, then next year, then the year after.

Accepting a trivial raise fails to take into account the fact that you learnt something during the year, and are better at your job. Accepting 3 %- 5% admits that you are at the same place you were at last year. That your brain has stagnated , and that you have not learnt anything.

Stick it too them.

“That may be so federally but in ACT local politics it seems that the current ALP mob have forgotten their blue collar roots.”

That’s not true. They remember the blue collars every time they open the money boxes of the pokies at Dicko Tradies or Labor Clubs.

Will the govt have more money in a couple of years?

Deb Foskey’s release argues that Labor at least owes the union members the courtesy of talking with their union.

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