By Mary Merkenich and Norrian Rundle
MELBOURNE — Four thousand angry teachers defeated the Australian Education Union leadership's attempt to exclude industrial action from a campaign to stop school closures at a stop-work meeting on November 21. The leadership position consisted of a so-called "political and community campaign", which included the setting up of an Advance State Education Trust funded by business.
Teachers at the meeting were clearly impatient at the lack of leadership by the elected officials. Speakers from the floor successfully moved amendments calling for an ongoing industrial component to the campaign.
The proposed action includes a half-day statewide stoppage in December, half-day regional stop-works in February and a 24-hour statewide stop-work with mass meetings in March. The movers of the amendment emphasised the need for teachers to lead the fight against these attacks.
The immediate attacks target 113 schools for closure or merger and cut more than 600 teachers from the state education system. The real agenda is the dismantling and privatisation of state education.
Because of the lack of job opportunities and tenure for new teachers, many graduates and young teachers are being forced to seek employment in private schools. Many contract teachers who are already employed will have their contracts terminated with no opportunity to apply for advertised vacancies.
While the leadership offered this analysis, its response lacked any effective strategy to stop these attacks. Consequently, the amendment was supported by about 80% of members present.
At a council meeting where the campaign was discussed, the majority of the leadership initially vigorously opposed the calling of the stop-work.
After the stop-work meeting, teachers marched to Parliament House to join student and parent groups in a rally to defend state education. Many speakers for the amendment pointed out that the planned industrial action was only the beginning of the campaign to force the government to reverse its cuts and adequately resource a quality state education system for all.
The campaign has to be one in which teachers are united and not isolated in their schools.
At the same time, 3000 TAFE teachers also held a stop-work meeting to discuss the how they would respond to the withdrawal of TAFE institute directors from a settlement reached with the AEU on September 19.
The union leaderships proposal was that TAFE colleges try to win their agreement at the local level — college by college. An amendment calling for a statewide campaign to win a statewide agreement with industrial action was passed by 90% of the members present.
The amendment called for a minimum set of demands, including a substantial pay increase, equal pay for all teachers, no compulsory night or weekend work and a maximum of 42 weeks' attendance.
After the mass meeting, TAFE teachers, supported by students, joined the rally with school teachers.