New year to focus on salaries campaign

By Brenda Seymour

Members are encouraged to begin a discussion of Federation's salaries, superannuation and status of the profession claim.

As a consequence of the timing of the federal election, Federation will conduct its major consultation with members on its salaries, superannuation and the status of the profession claim for 2009 at the commencement of the 2008 school and college year. The consultation will be finalised by report to Federation Council March 2008.

Members will recall that a new claim was initiated at the 2007 Annual Conference. The substance of it is:

• a three year award
• full funding
• five per cent per annum increases for salaries, payments and allowances
• an additional one per cent increase at the top of the common incremental salary scale (CISS). This would also flow on to part time casual teachers in TAFE
• the removal of step 7 of the CISS to bolster step 8. This change will benefit teachers after their first three years of teaching and benefit the top of the casual school teacher pay scale
• the pursuit of the Unions NSW public sector union claim for one percent per annum increases in superannuation for the life of the award. Priority in this claim is to be given to those members in accumulation-only schemes
• consideration of the impact of any additional remuneration on the promotions classifications, in particular head teacher/assistant principal
• a "Death and Disability Award" for members in First State Super or equivalent schemes and the State Authorities Superannuation Scheme (SASS) who are not covered by the Additional Benefit
• the pursuit of the joining together of casual and temporary school teacher service incremental "clocks" for non-permanent members.

The pay rises sought in the claim at the top of the CISS at January 1, 2009 (the commencement of the new award) would mean a salary of $79,873 and, by 2011 (the final year of the award) a salary of $89,745.

Under the claim teachers who move to step 8 January 1, 2009 will receive $63,980 and those who move to step 8, in 2011, will receive $70,538. This is consistent with the Annual Conference decision to compress the scale to 12 steps.

In 2007 there are 30,566 teachers at the top of the CISS and the number of teachers on steps, 7, 8 and 9 of the scale has almost doubled from the last tally of these numbers which was done in 2003.

NSW Public Sector Wages Policy 2007

To maintain real wages, the NSW Government has said that it would fund a 2.5 per cent annual increase in employee related expenses. Departments and agencies must fund any increase above 2.5 per cent per annum to wages, or other employee related expenses such as allowances and superannuation, through employee related cost saving increases!

It is the lousiest of offers.

The terms are severe too, for example:

"Other than in exceptional circumstances, agencies must not backpay wage increases beyond the date the agency and union(s) reach final agreement on all matters. This includes agreement on the cost savings to fund the increases. Backpay will only be available in exceptional circumstances and only where approved by the Cabinet Standing Committee on the Budget (the Budget Committee). Other than in exceptional circumstances, payment of increases must not commence until the relevant industrial instrument has been registered or approved."

Federation has a challenging and difficult time ahead. Members are encouraged to begin a discussion of the claim and vote on its contents when presented with the comprehensive material in the new year.

Brenda Seymour is Assistant General Secretary (Research and Industrial)

Reading the fineprint may be worth thousands

For further information

November 2007 contents