NSW: Teachers vote for further industrial action

December 15, 2011 14:05:45

State school teachers in New South Wales have voted to take further industrial action during stop-work meetings that disrupted the second-last day of the 2011 school year.
Teachers met for two hours from 9:00am (AEDT) to discuss last week's wages decision by the state's Industrial Relations Commission (IRC).

The NSW Teachers Federation says the IRC's determination of a 2.5 per cent a year is unacceptable and would amount to a salary cut in real terms.
Federation president Bob Lipscombe says members voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking further action in 2012 if the Government does not return to the negotiating table.

"We're hoping and we'll persist with that, but what we're saying is and what teachers across NSW said overwhelmingly today is if that doesn't work, if the Government isn't prepared to do that then they're prepared to take further action in this campaign," Mr Lipscombe said.
"I guess the message that the Government needs to take or understand from today's action is that teachers are absolutely determined."

Education Minister Adrian Piccoli condemned the action even before it began, saying it was illegal and unjustified.
"Next week there are two pupil free days where the union could have taken this action, but instead they deliberately chose to inconvenience parents and disadvantage students and I think it is going to make parents very angry," Mr Piccoli said.
The Minister says the union is openly defying an order from the IRC last week not to take more industrial action.

But Mr Lipscombe said before the strike that the Government has stripped the IRC of its powers, leaving teachers with little choice. The Government passed legislation earlier this year capping public sector wage increases at 2.5 per cent a year, unless cost savings were delivered first.
"The IRC's hands are very much tied by the State Government's legislation passed earlier this year," Mr Lipscombe said.
"If we're to gain any increases above and beyond that 2.5 per cent without adversely affecting our students learning conditions then this Government has to sit down and negotiate with us. To date they're shown no real interest in doing that."

Opposition spokeswoman Carmel Tebbutt says today's action is the third round of industrial action in state schools since Barry O'Farrell became Premier.

"I think the time has well and truly come for the minister to take control of this dispute," Ms Tebbutt said.
"Offer the teachers a decent salary and make sure that our schools can get back to what they should be about and that is teaching and learning."