No action from Watkins on salaries

By Dennis Long

The Federation has written to Education Minister John Watkins expressing disappointment over his failure to respond to a five-point plan to avoid a repetition of the 1999 salaries dispute. The plan was outlined to the minister in a letter dated December 9.

The Federation wrote again on February 17 seeking a positive response to the proposal, saying that "such a response would ensure that the bitter disputation which characterised the last salaries round was not repeated".

The five-point plan proposed:

• that the five per cent catch-up recommended by the Vinson Inquiry be paid to teachers in addition to the five per cent due in January 2003;
• the Government and the Department commit not to propose cuts to working conditions, increase workload or undermine the profession in the next salaries round;
• the first percentage increase for the next award be from January 1, 2004 regardless of whether negotiations are completed;
• restructuring of the current award to rectify inequities in primary executive structure and release; incremental progression for temporary teachers; by aggregating casual, temporary and permanent service for incremental progression; and ensuring sufficient funds to rectify anomalies in the operation of the TAFE head teacher classification;
• the annual allowance of $650 for TAFE teachers at the top of the common incremental scale be continued after the end of this year.

The February 17 letter reiterated that "teachers anticipate a positive response" from the Government regarding the Vinson five per cent and called on Mr Watkins to "immediately join with us in an application to the Industrial Relations Commission to vary the current award by consent".

The letter noted the Minister's comments "to various media outlets to the effect that immediately post the State Election you will commence negotiations with the Federation to ensure an award is in place before the current one runs out". The letter also noted "very similar statements were made by your predecessor, John Aquilina, before the last salaries round".

Dennis Long is the Editor.

Disturbing parallel

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February 2003 contents