Negotiations for a new award – the enforceable industrial document that sets out your salaries and conditions – will commence later this year.
Federation negotiates these salaries and conditions with the Department through the strength and participation of members across the state. To prepare for talks on the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award, school members were consulted on their areas of concern for the new award.
“As a first step we asked Federation Representatives and workplace committees to hold a workplace meeting of financial Federation members to discuss, consider, and vote on a brief survey relating to salary priorities,” President Maurie Mulheron said.
The survey results from each meeting, returned by Friday 21 June, are to be collated for Annual Conference in July, where delegates will discuss and vote on future campaign priorities and strategies.
“Our strength has always been through member participation in our democratic processes, from Association meetings through to the participation of members elected to the formal decision making forums of Council and Annual Conference,” Mr Mulheron said.
“Federation members are encouraged to stay up to date through the website, the journal and by attending workplace and association meetings.”
The potential priorities put to members for consideration, of which two were chosen, at school were:
- Increases above the imposed public sector annual salary cap of 2.5 per cent
- Smaller class sizes
- Reduced face-to-face teaching time
- Increase the number of permanent positions
- Addressing salary anomalies and inequities (eg the pre-2016 pay discrepancy, school counsellors’ access to standards-based pay, and the principal classification scheme)
- A 2.5 per cent annual salary increase without any adverse changes to working conditions.
Federation members were also asked about their preparedness to take significant industrial action to achieve these priorities, if required. If you aren’t a financial member of Federation, but would like to have your say about salaries and conditions at future meetings, you are encouraged to join the tens of thousands of members of the union across NSW by visiting www.www.nswtf.org.au/join or call us during business hours on 1300 654 363.