Teacher unions call off industrial action
By Norrian Rundle
MELBOURNE — Despite a Saulwick Age poll showing 57% support for teacher strikes against further cuts to education, the two Victorian teacher unions called off their proposed industrial campaign on September 4. This was in response to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission indicating that the action might cause the union case before the commission to be delayed.
Broad public support for the campaign was confirmed in a "Save Our Schools" rally attended by 3000 parents, teachers and students on September 10. Students in several schools have organised walkouts.
The planned industrial action was a result of a memorandum from the Directorate of School Education outlining how the $145 million cut to the education budget and the loss of 3000 teachers would impact on schools. The result would be a huge erosion of teaching conditions and further losses of school programs.
The new staffing formula would guarantee the closure of small primary and secondary schools.
A 24-hour stop-work was held on August 26, and mass meetings adopted a strategy which included rolling regional stoppages and a 24-hour stop-work to coincide with the "Save Our Schools" rally.
The September 4 Victorian Secondary Teachers Association State Council decision to call off all action was not conveyed to the media, so members in one region still held a half-day stop-work on September 6.
The union leaderships argue that the redundancy award will protect members from sackings. The unions are attempting to insert a permanency clause that will overturn sections of the Public Service Management Act that enable the DSE to dismiss workers.
However, this will not prevent teachers being declared "in excess" and removed from school timetables nor will it adequately staff small primary schools. And, since the DSE will probably distinguish between permanent and temporary teachers, it will not stop the cutting of 3000 teachers from Victorian schools.
Many members are very angry at the decision and have passed motions condemning the leaderships. They feel that the unions are letting down the parents and students who gave unprecedented support to the stoppage on August 26.
An opposition rank and file group, which includes several VSTA councillors, is calling a meeting in October to build solidarity among branches which are prepared to fight to maintain their jobs, conditions and school programs. The meeting will the first step in a long campaign.
At VSTA State Council meeting on September 11, a motion was passed outlining elements of the campaign. These include a publicity, lists of members in each branch who are willing to fight to protect their conditions and a refusal to allow union members to be named in excess or moved from their schools against their will.
The motion also includes statewide stop-work action "in the event that there is no progress in the hearings before the AIRC".
These proposals will be put to a meeting at 9.30 a.m. on October 6 before teachers march to the Trades Hall Council's anti-Kennett rally at 11 a.m.