Tasmania’s Treasurer is labelling unions “selfish” for deciding to walk off the job in an action that will inconvenience parents, school children and people on hospital waiting lists.
Teachers, nurses, paramedics, firefighters and other public servants could all walk off the job for two hours on November 27.
Unions are flagging the biggest campaign of industrial action in years to protest against Treasurer Peter Gutwein’s budget savings measures.
Mr Gutwein urged unions to reconsider, saying parents had every right to be angry about teachers going on strike.
“As a result of the unions’ selfish action, parents will be badly inconvenienced and students will be denied access to education,” he said.
“I would urge the unions to reconsider this action and not use our schools and our children as their own political play things.”
In a video posted on YouTube, the Australian Education Union’s (AEU) Terry Polglase urged teachers to sign up and fight the Government’s job cuts:
“If you are not a member of the union, join. And if you haven’t made the switch, switch,” he said.
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