James Vassilopoulos, Canberra

The Australian Capital Territory branch of the Australian Education Union (AEU) organised three days of rolling stoppages at public schools on May 26-28 to press teachers' demand for pay parity with their colleagues in NSW.

In addition to the rolling stoppages at 1500 primary schools, high schools and the Canberra Institute of Technology, teachers participated in the daily rallies at 9am outside the ACT Legislative Assembly.

Teachers have now been fighting for 18 months to get the capital territory's Labor government to agree to their demand for pay equality.

A 3000-strong May 10 stop-work and rally, the largest protest by ACT teachers ever, voted to demand the government grant a 5.5% pay increase backdated to January 1, and pay rises matching any granted to NSW teachers.

In December, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission gave NSW teachers a 5.5% pay increase, effective since January 1.

The ACT government is offering ACT teachers a 5% pay rise from July 1 and is refusing to commit itself to pay parity with NSW teachers. The AEU is planning to hold a stop-work and rally on June 16.

From Green Left Weekly, June 2, 2004.
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