Teachers in NSW’s public and Catholic schools will go on strike on Thursday 30 June over a dispute over salaries and staff shortages.
Key points:
- Teachers at NSW Public and Catholic Schools will go on strike on Thursday 30 June
- This is the first time that teachers from both unions have gone on strike together
- Representatives say 3% pay rise is an “insult”
The NSW Federation of Teachers and the NSW branch of the Independent Education Union of Australia have announced the historic 24-hour strike action, for the day before the end of the second quarter.
This is the first time the two unions have gone on strike together.
NSW Federation of Teachers President Angelo Gavrielatos said neither the NSW government nor Catholic school employers had done anything to address the shortage of teachers in schools.
He said internal government reports showed he knew why teachers were not being attracted or retained.
“This crisis has been caused by a failed system of labor relations and educational policies that now see teachers’ salaries uncompetitive compared to other professions and a workload that simply alienates people from teaching, ”he said.
“In five years’ time, scarcity will be beyond comprehension.”
He also said the NSW government’s current offer of a pay rise was unacceptable.
“A 3 percent increase is an insult. It doesn’t even deal with inflation.”
He said the NSW budget, released today, also did not alleviate the “paralyzing workloads”.
“Acting on uncompetitive salaries and unsustainable workloads is the only way to prevent more teachers from leaving and attracting people to the profession we need to address the shortage.”
The NSW government plans to introduce a salary based on teacher performance, a measure that the Teachers’ Federation has long opposed.
Angelo Gavrielatos and Mark Northam announced the joint strike on Tuesday. (ABC News: Isaac Nowroozi)
NSW branch of the Australian Independent Education Union, Mark Northam, said parents had supported the strike in the past.
“We had no (complaints) when we stopped a couple of Fridays ago,” he said.
“Their sons and daughters tell them what’s going on. They’re lost and it’s time to fix it.”
Independent Education Union President Christine Wilkinson said teachers were exhausted and students noticed.
“There are no 12-year-olds who want to get into teaching, and that’s really disappointing,” he said.
“They’re looking at other professions.”
Members of both unions will gather on Macquarie Street, Sydney’s CBD on June 30, as well as NSW and ACT regional locations.
Posted 1 hour, 1 hour ago, Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 4:15 AM, updated 14 minutes ago, 14 minutes ago, Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 5:27 AM