Pro Rata Case for TAFE Part Time Casual Teachers

On July 1 Federation filed in the Industrial Relations Commission an application for a variation to the Teachers Award to vary the conditions of part time casual TAFE teachers in respect of the conditions of full time teachers.

The award variation seeks pro rata full time salary and award conditions for part time casual teachers who teach eight hours or more a week.

Along with the application, Federation filed 23 witness statements from the President, Maree O'Halloran, expert witness Dr Anne Junor, Lecturer in the School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour at the University of NSW and 21 teacher witnesses: 16 part time casual teachers, two full time permanent teachers and three head teachers. The evidence is excellent and Federation thanks all the witnesses for volunteering to be involved in this very important case.

On July 14, a full bench of the Commission comprising Justice Wright, President, Justice Walton Vice President, Deputy President Grayson, Justice Boland and Commissioner McLeay listed the case for directions. The following dates were set for hearing the case - September 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 22 and 30. The full bench delegated the hearing of evidence to Commissioner McLeay.

The Department has filed its evidence in the case also and there are seven departmental witnesses including three Institute Directors. The Department is opposing the Federation's application outright - there are no concessions at all. Of course the Department is also claiming the application if successful would cost a great deal which TAFE "can't afford". The capacity to pay and economic impact arguments are loud and clear.

The Department's evidence includes a breakdown of the numbers of part time casual teachers and the hours they taught in 2002. It is good to finally have some comprehensive data on the increase in the non-permanent teaching workforce. In 2002 there were 15,446 part time casual teachers in total, of whom 8,680 or 56.2 per cent were women. Only 5,253 or 34 per cent of the total number taught eight hours or more a week and of these 3,243 or 62 per cent 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 per cent were women.

The case will be heard at Flight Centre (formerly Xerox House) 815 - 825 George Street, Sydney (opposite the Central bus terminal) in Commissioner McLeay's court room and a hearing day is from 10 to 4 pm. I hope members will consider coming along and be part of the audience to support their colleagues who are witnesses.

TAFE is the last major area of public education to have a large non-permanent workforce with poor conditions and salary. Let's hope we get a breakthrough for this group of workers, the majority of whom are women. They deserve a better deal than they are currently getting from TAFE.

By Diane Hague
Diane Hague is an Industrial Officer

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005