THE Victorian teachers’ union is boycotting further negotiations and will recommence industrial action after it said the State Government refused to compromise and respond to the union’s revised offer on major issues.
In a statement last week, the Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Mary Bluett said despite AEU putting a revised offer pertaining to salaries, contract employment, class sizes and workload, on the table three weeks ago, the government had failed to respond or negotiate.
“We will not return to the negotiating table unless the Baillieu Government puts a reasonable offer forward,” Ms Bluett said.
“Our revised salary offer of 12 per cent over three years is in line with the police deal and would place Victorian teachers above those in NSW and South Australia but they would remain significantly below educators in Western Australia.”
Ms Bluett further said the AEU, in a bid to resolve the long-running dispute, moved from its original 10 per cent per year pay claim, which was based on Premier Ted Baillieu’s promise to make Victorian teachers the highest paid in the nation.
As part of its industrial action, the AEU’s rolling regional stoppages will recommence tomorrow Tuesday and run through to 6 December.
“Public school staff will be stopping work and rallying out the front of local Coalition MP offices throughout Term Four and calling on their local representatives to support them in their fight for a fair deal,” Ms Bluett said.
“The government has shown a complete lack of respect for public school staff in Victoria by publicly saying that they want this issue resolved, but behind closed doors, not even having the decency to negotiate in good faith and respond to what is a very reasonable offer.”
