A MOVE by the State Government to take the issue of performance pay for teachers off the negotiating table has been welcomed as a small, positive step in the right direction by the Australian Education Union Victorian branch.
AEU Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said however, negotiations between the parties were still ongoing.
“We are pleased that the new Premier (Denis Napthine) is prepared to listen to our profession, but we actually now need to see what they are prepared to put on the table,” Ms Peace said.
“There are still a number of outstanding issues to be resolved, including salaries, workload, class sizes and the high level of contract employment.”
Dr Napthine announced on Tuesday the State Government had taken the issue off the bargaining table to expedite the resolving of the two-year dispute with the teachers.
“This significant move will greatly assist enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations by allowing the parties to focus on resulting the EBA in the immediate term,” Dr Napthine said.
“The Coalition Government has made a major move today in the spirit of compromise and in good faith to settle this longstanding matter.”
He said performance pay schemes already existed in a number of state schools, with trials underway since 2010.
