TAFE teachers from Mt Druitt vote unanimously to "take all necessary action" to protect their work conditions.

Thousands stop work

By

Dennis Long

Thousands of TAFE teachers stopped work for three hours on November 10 to reject the October 15 ruling of the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC).

The IRC's judgment granted the Department of Education and Training's (DET's) application for sweeping changes to the teaching and working conditions of TAFE teachers in NSW.

The DET application went well beyond changes needed to fund the average 1.5 per cent per annum of the average four per cent per annum pay increase awarded to TAFE teachers in February.

The meetings voted to endorse Federation Council's decision "to take all necessary action to protect the working conditions of teachers and the quality of education in TAFE from this attack, and to prevent the DET pursuing a similar agenda in schools".

Members declared their preparedness to take further industrial action, including joint industrial action with teachers in public schools, if the dispute was not satisfactorily resolved prior to the next meeting of Federation Council on November 21.

Meetings were held at 49 venues, where members viewed a Federation broadcast before debating a recommendation. The broadcast contained reports from Federation President Bob Lipscombe, Assistant General Secretary (Post School Education) Phil Bradley and TAFE Organiser Maxine Sharkey. Mr Lipscombe also moved the recommendation.

Over 99 per cent of those attending the meetings voted to endorse the recommendation.

The meetings declared that the changes drew more on the former Howard Government's discredited WorkChoices approach "than any regard for TAFE teachers and the quality of education in TAFE colleges".

If implemented, the decision would increase workload 20 per cent for permanent and temporary TAFE teachers.

The decision would also allow DET to eliminate hundreds of permanent positions, as well as diminish the opportunities for work for temporary teachers and part-time casual teachers.

TAFE teachers said that they would continue to lobby politicians.

Members called on the Minister for Education and Training and/or the Premier to "negotiate a settlement with the NSW Teachers Federation which does not undermine TAFE teaching and learning conditions".

Dennis Long is the Editor

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