NSW: Tafe Teachers Rally

Four thousand TAFE teachers and supporters from across NSW rallied outside Parliament House in Macquarie Street today.

The participants voted unanimously to continue their campaign to ensure the NSW government delivers proper salary increases without destroying the quality of TAFE education in the state.

The meeting carried the following resolution:

"This stopwork meeting of TAFE Federation members at NSW Parliament on 2 September 2009 has no confidence in the Director-General Michael Coutts-Trotter.

"We are determined to fight to maintain quality TAFE teaching and learning conditions, and reject proposals made by DET to increase teaching hours and destroy professional development."

The meeting was addressed by Bob Lipscombe, President NSW Teachers Federation; Rob Long, President TAFE Teachers Association; Linda Simon, AEU Federal TAFE President; Josie Keeley, TAFE teacher from Goulburn, and several politicians: Shadow Education Minister, Adrian Piccoli; Greens Education Spokesperson, John Kaye; Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly, Independent Richard Torbay; and Upper House Independent, Reverend Gordon Moyes. All supported the TAFE teachers.

Federation President Bob Lipscombe said "It is time for the Minster to take charge of this matter from the Department of Education and Training and to enter into negotiations with the Federation to resolve the dispute."