Nick Everett, Canberra
On March 28, 100 teachers from the ACT's 27 Catholic schools, meeting at the Manuka Oval, voted unanimously to strike. The ACT's 780 Catholic school teachers are seeking a pay increase of 13% over three years after their most recent pay agreement expired on March 1.
The decision comes two weeks after government school and Canberra Institute of Technology teachers struck in support of a pay increase of 12% over three years with no loss in conditions.
After threatening to impose harsh new penalties on strikers under the federal government's new Work Choices laws, ACT education minister Katy Gallagher has now agreed to negotiate with government teachers. However, teachers in the Catholic school system are yet to receive a formal wages offer from the Catholic Education Office, which has said it will not make an offer until the ACT government teachers' pay dispute is settled.
Under Work Choices, teachers must have their decision to strike confirmed by a secret ballot conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission or risk individual fines of $6000 or $33,000 for their union. For their strike action to be considered protected action, more than 50% must vote in favour.
Dick Shearman, NSW-ACT general secretary of the Independent Education Union, which represents Catholic school teachers, described the new laws as draconian. The federal government has "made it very difficult to take industrial action", he told the March 29 Canberra Times. "But we're not allowing ourselves to be put in a position where we say, 'It's too hard'."
From Green Left Weekly, April 5, 2006.
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