Government reneges
By Maree O’Halloran
The State Labor Government is continuing to hold the Industrial Relations Commission to ransom by refusing to fund their eventual decision, attacking the profession and delaying the proceedings in the Commission. As a result, Federation members may be forced to take more industrial action this year.
The State Government's pre-election promises about salaries and the value of teachers were few but telling. They were designed to ameliorate a public education constituency angered and demoralised by the Government's denigration of the profession through the media in the 1999/2000 salaries campaign.
John Watkins, "the Education minister from central casting" (Bob Carr, March 29-30, Sydney Morning Herald), promised on behalf of the government:
- not to denigrate the profession because it valued teachers
- that a new award would be in place by January 1, 2004.
Post the election Dr Refshauge massaged the demeaning three per cent per annum offer in the media and at meetings by making promises about the conduct of the salaries cases. Speaking about the case to be presented by the State Government on May 13 this year the Minister said: "The only argument that we will be using is capacity to pay." Such a deliberate lie cannot be explained away despite the Minister's spin in the media when the case opened on September 11.
Instead of the position promised by Dr Refshauge, public education witnesses are facing lengthy cross-examination with the specific aim of undermining the value of teachers' work. Their counterparts in the Catholic education system face no cross-examination. Their employer agrees with all their work value claims. The Government's actions in the Commission, particularly when contrasted with the Catholic employer, also gravely puts at risk a new award by January 1, 2004.
In 2003, the State Government is doing in the Industrial Relations Commission what it did through the media in 1999/2000 -- denigrating and devaluing the profession. This follows the Government's refusal to fund the agreements reached in 2002 between the Department and the Federation about restructuring primary promotions positions and combining casual and temporary service for incremental progression.
State and Federal Budgets in surplus
While teachers are attacked for claiming salaries justice and the public education system is drained of resources, State and Federal governments sit on huge surpluses.
The 2002/3 State Budget had a surplus of $620 million. The Treasurer, Michael Egan, crows about "his" surplus but ridicules teachers in Parliament and in the media for daring to ask for fully-funded salaries justice. If spent on education alone, this surplus equates to a 12 per cent salary increase. The Government clearly has the funds to pay the Vinson five per cent as a gesture of goodwill in 2003. There is clearly also enough to prevent the slashing of over 1000 jobs from the Department of Education and Training. The farce of the current restructuring was avoidable, just as the massive increase in TAFE fees was avoidable. The introduction of those fees will, of course, disproportionately affect students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Congratulations to members who worked in alliance with community groups to restore course exemptions. We are halfway through this campaign.
The 2002/3 Federal Budget surplus is $7.5 billion. That is public money needed for public health and education. The Howard Government (and a Latham-led ALP) will give priority to tax cuts over services. The effect will be a further deterioration of our great public services, smaller government and a smaller tax base from which to retrieve the situation.
NSW ALP caucus splits
The ALP caucus has finally taken a stand against the combined power of the Premier and the Treasurer. TAFE fees, job losses, the funding of teachers salaries? No. This caucus split over poker machine revenue and taxes. It was the hip-pocket nerve of local ALP members resonating in the caucus room, not principle. We need now to keep the pressure on all local members about just salary increases and Treasury funding for those increases. Members of Parliament need to account to their constituency for the decisions of government.
Salaries case magnificent
The story of public education and teachers' work is being told in the Commission by our witnesses. Their efforts have been impressive and representative of an outstanding teaching force. The strength of our case is why the Government continues to threaten dire consequences for the public education budget and other services if the Commission delivers salary justice. Site inspections have also begun. Four judges visited the Sarah Redfern campus in south western Sydney on October 21. These visits are supported by Federation and crucial to the case. They gave the judges a chance to interact freely with teachers and students.
Bushwacked
Thirty-seven years to the day (October 22) after Lyndon B Johnson arrived in Australia, United States President George W Bush arrived on a thank you tour for Prime Minister John Howard. The Bush/Howard war on the people of Iraq and its continuing legacy is a humanitarian disaster. John Howard does not speak for us or for most Australians as, without public or parliamentary debate, he aids a Bush-led United States to re-make the world in its own image. The antidote to being "Bushwacked" is a thriving, public education system which develops participatory democracy and informed, public debate.
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October 2003 contents
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