ACT teachers to strike

Wednesday, September 29, 1993 - 10:00

ACT teachers to strike

By Kath Gelber

CANBERRA — Three thousand members of the Australian Education Union (formerly Australian Teachers Union) voted at a stop-work meeting here on September 23 to strike for a full day on October 28 in protest against cuts to education funding in the ACT budget brought down on September 14.

ALP Chief Minister Rosemary Follett proposes to slash the education budget by $4.26 million. The cuts will hit secondary colleges hardest, with 80 teaching positions to be axed. Taking part-time work into account, about 130 people are set to lose their jobs.

The day after the budget, the teachers' union vowed to fight the cuts. Union president Rosemary Richards has promised ongoing political and industrial action arising from the stop-work meeting. Motions passed included opposing compulsory transfers of teachers to new schools.

The stop-work meeting was attended by preschool, primary, secondary and college teachers as well as administrative staff. It had the support of the P&C. Richards has called on community groups, students and parents to support ongoing action by teachers against the cuts.

From GLW issue 117