TAFE Part Time Casual Teachers

Evidence in TAFE Part time Casual case concludes

The schedule for final submissions has been set.

The evidence for the Federation�s case to improve the salaries and conditions of TAFE part time casual teachers has concluded.

Federation filed 24 witness statements. The witnesses were :-

• Maree O�Halloran, President, NSW Teachers Federation
• Phil Bradley, Assistant General Secretary, NSW Teachers Federation
• Dr Anne Junor, Lecturer, School of Industrial Relations and Organisation Behaviour, University of New South Wales
• Professor James Guthrie, Professor of Management, Macquarie Graduate School of Management
• Harry Albani, Senior Head Teacher, Health Auxiliaries, Ultimo College
• Karen Armin-Grimm, Part Time Casual Teacher, Get Skilled Programs and Administration Services, Granville College
• Jeanette Barnes, Part Time Casual Teacher, Adult Basic Numeracy and Literacy, Tamworth College
• Howard Bell, Part Time Casual Teacher, Legal and other Business subjects, Granville College
• Catherine Bindels, Part Time Casual Teacher, Staff Training, Workplace Assessor, Communications and Retail, Coffs Harbour College
• David Carey, Part Time Casual Teacher, Science and Adult Basic Education, North Coast Institute
• Kaylene Chamberlain, Part Time Casual Teacher, Communications and Adult Basic Education, Lismore College
• Joanne Day, Part Time Casual Teacher, Fine Arts, Hornsby College
• Elizabeth Doyle, Part Time Casual Teacher, General Education and Adult Basic Education, Bega College
• Elizabeth Gewandt, Part Time Casual Teacher, Management and Small Business, Meadowbank College
• Jim Heather, Part Time Casual Teacher, Metal Fabrication, Welding and Adult Basic Education, Campbelltown and Moss Vale Colleges.
• Terry Keeley, Part Time Casual Teacher, English, North Wollongong College
• Robert Long, Teacher, Tourism and Hospitality, Wollongong and Dapto Colleges
• Noelene Milliken, Teacher Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Communication, Wagga Wagga College
• Dianne Mullin, Part Time Casual Teacher, English and Communication, Randwick College
• Katherine Nicholson, Head Teacher, Access Faculty, Inverell College
• Dennis Nolan, Part Time Casual Teacher, Law and Economics, Campbelltown, Granville and Nepean Colleges
• Rhiannon Noltorp, Part Time Casual Teacher, Nursing, Hunter Institute
• Paula Reilly, Part Time Casual Teacher, Bookkeeping, Hunter Institute
• Dianne Sykes, Part Time Casual Teacher, Business Administration Studies and Adult Basic Education, Hunter Institute
• John Woodcock, Head Teacher, Tourism and Hospitality, Coffs Harbour Education Campus.

• Robin Shreeve, Deputy Director-General, TAFE
• Graham Devlin, Deputy Director, Northern Sydney Institute
• Graeme Dobbs, Relieving Executive Director, TAFE
• Marie Persson, Director, Sydney Institute
• Neil Black, Director, North Coast Institute
• Barry Peddle, Director, Illawarra Institute
• Ian Gillespie, Director, Financial Accounting
• John Pearce, Secretary, Treasury
• Dr James Athanasou, Associate Professor Adult Education, University of Technology

Evidence from Federation and Department witnesses was heard during September and October. Federation�s witnesses were excellent. They handled the cross-examination by the Department�s barrister very well and the part time casual teacher witnesses were completely convincing in the detailing of how much time they spent in preparation for classes and in all the other duties required of teachers that they are not adequately compensated for.

Adam Hatcher, Federation�s barrister, did a sterling job of taking apart the evidence provided by the Department�s witnesses.

The Department�s evidence included a breakdown of the numbers of part time casual teachers and the hours they taught in 2002 and statistics on equivalent full time permanent teachers. In 2002 there were 15,446 part time casual teachers in total, of whom 8,680 or 56.2 percent were women. Only 5,253 or 34 percent of the total number taught eight hours or more a week and of these 3,243 or 62 percent were women. The figures bear out Federation�s claim that the increase in the non-permanent workforce in TAFE has been accompanied by its feminisation. In 2001 there were 5,079 permanent teachers in TAFE of whom 42 percent were women.

The total annual part time casual hours worked by teachers in 2002 was 4,169,237 of which 3,260,496 hours were worked by teachers who averaged eight hours or more a week. It was also extraordinary to note that 1,479,797 of these hours were worked by teachers who averaged 20 hours or more a week! By contrast, in June 2002 there were 4,880 equivalent full time permanent teachers who taught 3,513,672 hours (including professional development hours) and 368,286 excess teaching hours.

The Department opposes the Federation�s award variation application outright and no concessions were given. The Government is claiming that the application, if successful, would cost too much and TAFE can�t afford it. The issues of discrimination inherent in a non permanent workforce largely comprised of women were ignored.

TAFE is the last area of public education to have a large non permanent workforce with poor conditions and salary. Let�s hope there will be a better deal for them through this case.

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Last Modified: 21 Nov 2008