Media release – Jeremy Rockliff, Premier, 9 November 2022
Strike action will only hurt Tasmanian families
Our government is negotiating with all unions in good faith to deliver wage increases that are fair, affordable, and reasonable.
Good faith negotiations mean listening and responding, and our Government has done that at all levels, with three separate wage offers made to public sector unions since September.
Despite knowing another offer was coming, the unions decided to strike even before receiving that offer or taking it to their members – disrupting services, disrupting education, and disrupting the lives of Tasmanians.
This is very disappointing, and needs to be called out.
It’s especially disappointing from the AEU, given the next salary increase for teachers is not due until March 2023.
The facts are, our offer provides a three-year agreement with increases to wages of 3.5 per cent in the first year, and 3 per cent each year for the next two years.
It also addresses feedback from unions around attraction and retention, and improved employment conditions have also been offered to employees, in addition to salary increases and additional cost of living payments over three years.
This is more competitive than most other states, with NSW offering 3 per cent per annum over 3 years, WA offering 3 per cent or $600 (whichever is the greater) over 2 years, and Victoria offering a rate capped at 1.5 per cent per annum for the life of the relevant agreement.
It’s also more competitive than what the Prime Minister, Mr Albanese, offered to his own Commonwealth public sector workers recently, which was a one-off 3 per cent.
Labor’s call for wage increases at the current rate of inflation would cost approximately $2.4 billion over the Budget and Forward Estimates.
Labor’s wages policy is simply unaffordable and would smash the Budget to pieces – which in turn would result in higher inflation, higher household costs, and less money for essential services.
We are focused on getting our Budget back on track after heavily supporting the Tasmanian economy through the past few years of COVID-19, and we need to ensure that we have a balance sheet that can buffer against future external shocks.
Negotiations require good faith by both parties, and I would once again urge the unions to show good faith, take industrial action off the table, and put this offer to their members.
Media release – Australian Education Union Tasmania Branch, 9 November 2022
Thousands of educators across Tasmania unite for education investment
The roars of thousands of overworked educators who stopped work today calling for better working and learning conditions can no longer be ignored by the Rockliff Liberal Government.
Educators joined firefighters, health workers, child protection officers and other public sector staff in statewide stop work action today calling for a fair go, workload solutions and investment in student learning.
Major rallies were held in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport while cluster actions were held in regional parts of the state.
Australian Education Union Tasmania President David Genford said the groundswell of voices – including from parents, families and education supporters – sent a huge message to the Rockliff Government that Tasmania’s over-stretched education system needs an urgent fix.
“Educators are burnt out and they’ve had enough,” Mr Genford said.
“Student learning is suffering as a result of ongoing Rockliff Government neglect for Education and today, educators joined together with other public sector workers also enduring workload stresses to say enough is enough.”
Mr Genford thanked the community for widespread support of the stop work action, saying the Rockliff Government could no longer hide from the education reform Tasmania’s schools and colleges desperately need.
“The future of Tasmania’s public education system depends on real reform being implemented today,” he said.
“What we’ve seen today, through widespread stop work action, is that Tasmanians have had enough – our schools are in dire need of investment and our students can’t wait.
“The Rockliff Government has ignored solutions to the state’s education crisis for too long and the time for change is now.
“Educators, parents and families are united in the fight for better working and learning conditions in Tasmanian schools and colleges and that was on show across the state.
“Every child deserves to learn in the best learning conditions possible and educators won’t rest until real solutions are implemented.”
