Federation officers joined PTC witnesses to thank them for their help in the pro rata salaries case.

PTC settlement is fully funded

By Phil Bradley

The TAFE part time casual (PTC) teacher pro rata pay and conditions settlement is fully funded.

Any statement by a manager that hours will be cut because of the award variation should be reported to Federation as it may indicate a potential misuse of Treasury funds.

After representations from Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt the Department of Education and Training put in writing that the agreement would be fully funded and a copy of the letter has been handed to the Industrial Relations Commission.

The union has been fighting for improvements for exploited PTCs for many years. The most recent case started in the Industrial Relations Commission on September 1, 2003. On April 28, 2005 Federation and the Department of Education and Training agreed on a settlement to be implemented from the beginning of semester 2.

On June 3 the NSW Industrial Relations Commission made the award variation that significantly improves the pay and conditions of TAFE part time casual teachers (PTCs).

At Federation Council the next day, witnesses for the PTC case were thanked and the Federation showed its appreciation with a special lunch celebration.

PTC hours are to be aggregated across colleges within each Institute to determine any new entitlement from the award variation.

Benefits will flow to PTCs teaching at least 10 hours per week.

If a PTC's teaching hours are at least 10 hours per week and less than 12 hrs per week they will receive one hour related duties (RD) paid at the teaching duties rate. If they teach at least 12 hours per week and less than 15 hours they get three hours RD and from 15 to 19 hrs per week they get 20 minutes RD for each hour of teaching. Almost all PTCs who are programmed to teach 19 hrs/wk (including co-ordination duties) for 12 weeks or more in a semester should be appointed as temporary teachers with full pro rata pay and conditions. From the start of semester 1, 2007, PTC teacher hours are to be aggregated across Institutes.

On May 23 all TAFE Fed Reps were sent a copy of DET's Industrial Relations Circular IRC 05/08, which provides a more detailed explanation of the settlement.

Members will be advised of more details for the implementation of the award variation and of related TAFE policy amendments when they are agreed.

The PTC settlement was reported in general terms in the May 9 edition of Education.

Phil Bradley is the Assistant General Secretary (Post School Education)

For further information

June 2005 contents