Salaries negotiations continue

By Maree O’Halloran

The second salaries negotiation session between Federation and the Department of Education and Training (DET) was scheduled for Monday August 29.

The first meeting on July 28 was suspended because the Department needed to seek new instructions from the incoming Premier Morris Iemma.

At that meeting Federation's Senior Officers outlined the salaries claim for members which was finalised at Annual Conference. The issue of salary and allowance increases has also been on the agenda for every meeting between Federation and either the Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, or the Director-General, Andrew Cappie-Wood.

Federation has also formally written to the Minister and Director-General setting out the salaries claim and emphasising that it must be fully funded, contain no trade offs and the first payment must be from January 1, 2006. A similar letter has been sent to Corrective Services.

Given the new Premier's strong commitment to the NSW industrial relations system, Federation hopes that a negotiated settlement in the best interests of public education can be reached. As always, members need to be prepared if action is necessary.

Federation's claim for paid maternity leave to be increased to 14 weeks and paid paternity leave of one week is before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. Both the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Corrective Services plan to offer this extra paid leave as part of the salaries settlement. Federation wants the matter dealt with separately with a guaranteed starting date of no later than January 1, 2006; otherwise, if the salaries outcome is delayed so is the issue of paid maternity leave which is patently unfair to Federation members.

Maree O'Halloran is the President.

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