ROLLING teacher strikes are to be expected after pay and condition negotiations with the State Government have been referred to the WA Industrial Relations Commission.
State School Union president Anne Gisbourne said school strikes could take effect in as little as a few weeks.
“We’ve got a range of options to consider,” Ms Gisbourne said.
“It might be that all schools will have half day strikes on Mondays, or we might do half day strikes in the South-West on Monday and the North-West on Tuesday…”
The teachers union is taking an aggressive stance saying it wanted action.
“I think our members are extremely angry, frustrated and disappointed that such a significant matter should see the government wiping its hands of it,” Ms Gisbourne said.
“Resolving the matter and ensuring salary and workload issues are dealt with is essential if this government is to ensure teacher supply issues are resolved.
An army of teachers from schools all around the Peel and Murray region rallied for teachers’ rights in Mandurah on Monday by handing out pamphlets and brandishing signs and flags to promote their cause.
While most school principals around the Peel region are choosing to remain quiet several protesting gave the Mail their opinions on Wednesday.
“We’re that mad that we’ve actually come onto the streets to protest,” a teacher who wished to remain unnamed said.
“We’re not satisfied with the salary we get, it doesn’t represent how much work we do.”
Union representative and Pinjarra High School teacher Ric Holster said he, like many other teachers, thought it was an appalling move from the WA government.
“The entire conditions of our work package are to be arbitrated on now,” Mr Holster said.
“This is an all encompassing document which spans something like 200 pages and lets just say last time we entered into arbitration just for specific areas of the agreement it took seven or eight months.
“This time every single clause and subclause and condition needs to be fought for.”
The move has been considered a major setback for the teachers union now with every working condition they’ve achieved since the unions formation up for grabs.
“Even if we get every working condition back we’re still essentially where we started,” Mr Holster said.
The fate of the schools in WA has been hanging by a thread for more than six months while negotiations have been in progress between the State School Union and the Department for Education and Training.
In the meantime schools around the Peel area have suffered significantly while union teachers have refused to take part in activities outside of school hours.
These activities have included after school excursions, school camps and, most notably, absence from this years Country Week.
“A lot of staff has withdrawn their goodwill from extra curricular activity that impinges on their duties,” Mr Holster said.
“I believe some schools are getting around the situation by offering contract payments to staff members.
“But there are some schools who have just said no.
“There is definitely a reduced number of schools going to country week this year.
“Thirteen I know have said simply ‘we’re not going’.”
Union representative and teacher from Riverside Primary school Megan Teede said as far as she was concerned the decision to go into arbitration wasn’t going to stop their efforts for better working conditions.
“There was definitely a lot more to be discussed but that is part of our dispute now,” Ms Teede said.
“The negotiating has been taken out of our hands but we’re still adamant that we’re going to promote this cause.”
Union members from Riverside Primary school appealed to the parents outside the school on Tuesday to outline what they were fighting for.
“Because it’s not just what the teachers want for themselves,” Ms Teede said.
“Smaller class sizes will benefit the students and more preparation time for the teachers means they can conduct classes better.”
The Mail has sought comment from Education Minister Mark McGowan.
In a statement released on June 10 he said, “I commissioned the report last year to develop a long term blueprint for the education and training workforce, and in both the Government and non-Government sectors.”
“Contrary to the wilful misrepresentation by the State School Teachers Union (SSTU) and the Opposition, it was not intended to frame the current Government school teachers’ enterprise agreement, and anyone reading the terms of reference will see that.” Mr McGowan said.
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