Where the 2006 award places teachers

BRENDA SEYMOUR analyses the 2006 teachers award.

What a difference 16 years makes. On October 26, 2005, Sky Channel accepted an offer on its merits including for the immediate payment on January 1, 2006. On October 26, 1989, teachers met at Wentworth Park and voted to continue the campaign for salary justice. What followed was a first payment to teachers in August 1990. It took three years of arbitration to finalise the award.

The recommendation to pay a first payment on January 1, 2006, bolsters the gains of the 2004 award and provides certainty for teachers.

The 2004 award provided a first payment of 5.5 per cent the day after the 2000 award expired. The first percentage increase for the 2000 award was payable from 10 months after the 1996 award expired, along with a cash payment. The first payment in the 1996 award was eight months after the 1994 enterprise agreement expired.

For those who may argue that the skewed payment to the top of the scale disrupts the relationship between step 13 and head teachers high school, this is not the case. Since1974 the head teacher high has been between 9.6 per cent and 14.6 per cent above the top of the scale. The current offer does not alter the historical relationship.

The figures from 2003 indicate that there are very few teachers on steps 1 to 12 compared with step 13. For example, there were 873 teachers on step 5, the four-year trained beginning teacher rate and 1638 teachers on step 12 compared with 27,422 on the top of the common incremental salaries scale.

There is a built-in gain in the progression to the top of the common incremental salary scale. If you commence on step 5 as a beginning teacher, for example, the built-in effect is worth 4.89 per cent per annum.

As well, for teachers in the original State Super defined benefit fund every $262 increase is worth $900 cash or a $5.50 top-up per fortnight as a pension.

The skewed increase to the top of the common incremental salary scale also benefits TAFE part time casual teachers whose formula is linked to this increase and 9290 temporary school teachers, many of whom will now be on step 13. Similarly, many temporary TAFE teachers are at the top of the scale and TAFE is increasing the numbers of temporary teachers.

The cumulative increase for step 13 teachers is 13.57 per cent; for promotions positions 12.49 per cent and for those on the incremental scale (independent of the built-in effect of progression up the common incremental salaries scale) 9.27 per cent. In comparison the consumer price index for the financial year 2004-2005 is 2.5 per cent for Sydney and 2.4 per cent for the weighted average of eight capital cities.

For the promotions positions the cumulative increase is a minimum of 12.49 per cent with PP6 12.94 percent, assistant principal 17.74 percent, PP5 18.08 per cent and deputy principal primary 24.75 per cent.

In 2004 there were 3864 head teachers/district guidance officers, 3769 assistant principals, 728 deputy principals secondary and 331 deputy principals primary. This represents 19.1 per cent of secondary staff and 17.6 per cent of primary staff. There were 18,940 classroom teachers secondary (79.2 per cent of secondary staff) and 17,378 classroom teachers primary (74.7 per cent of primary staff).

Brenda Seymour is the Assistant General Secretary (Research and Industrial).

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005