Education Minister Sarah Mitchell has launched a blistering attack on the NSW Teachers Federation, accusing it of being a protection racket that fights transparency and is “hell-bent” on hanging students out to dry for political purposes.
Ahead of the first teachers’ strike in almost 10 years, Ms Mitchell said families should not be punished by a conservative union focused on rewarding long-serving members rather than good teachers. “They do a great disservice to those wanting progressive public policy reform,” she said.
Sarah Mitchell has accused the federation of running a protection racketCredit:James Brickwood
NSW public school teachers will strike for 24 hours on Tuesday to reject the state government’s offer of a 2.5 per cent a year pay rise. They say their wages are falling behind similar professions and their mounting workload is stopping them from doing their job well.
Ms Mitchell said the wage negotiations should be done in the Industrial Relation Commission.
“[Teachers] deserve better representation than that of a union hell-bent on hanging students out to dry for political purposes,” she said.
“The NSW Teachers Federation is a union that actively fights any move to increase transparency in the school system and blocks initiatives to lift outcomes and support students.
“Families should not be punished by a protectionist racket focused solely on rewarding the federation’s longest-serving members whilst ignoring the needs of students.”
Teachers want a five per cent pay rise, plus another 2.5 per cent for experience, which is above the government’s legislated 2.5 per cent public sector wage cap. Teachers begin on about $72,263, but their salary does not go beyond about $108,000 if they stay in the classroom.
They point to worsening shortages of teachers in subjects such as maths and science, and in regional and disadvantaged areas, as evidence that the pay is too low.
Teachers’ federation is an obstructionist protection racket, says Mitchell
Source: Philippines Alive
