❓ Debate over teacher pay negotiations between the government and the State School Teachers’ Union, with the Minister outlining the government's offer and criticising the union's demands and the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 163Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TEACHERS — ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
I refer to comments made on the weekend by the opposition spokesperson for education that the government should make a decent offer to teachers, and I ask the minister to outline to the house the very reasonable pay offer that has been made to teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN
I refer to comments made on the weekend by the opposition spokesperson for education that the government should make a decent offer to teachers, and I ask the minister to outline to the house the very reasonable pay offer that has been made to teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. The State School Teachers’ Union of WA has organised a rally at Parliament House this afternoon. The union has indicated it would not like the rally to be addressed by me, so I will outline what we have put on offer to the workforce for the information of the Parliament, and therefore the public of Western Australia. We offered to the workforce a pay rise of between 13.6 per cent and 22 per cent, depending upon experience and location. Senior classroom teachers, of whom there are more than 5 000 in Western Australia, which is nearly one-third of the workforce, will receive $84 357 a year by February 2011, which amounts to a 15.8 per cent pay rise. We offered easier advancement for thousands of teachers at level 2.4—the level after their seventh year of teaching—through to senior classroom teacher status, which means a 22 per cent pay rise over three years for those teachers. In addition, for the country teaching program, remote teaching service and the more difficult metropolitan schools to staff, we have offered teacher allowance increases of $4 000 in the country and $2 000 to $3 000 in the city. That means that at virtually all levels, Western Australian teachers are to be the best paid teachers out of all the states. Currently, there are two levels in New South Wales at which teachers are better paid than those in Western Australia. However, negotiation is a two-way street. We actually have to work constructively with the union to get a negotiated outcome, as we have been trying to do. I now indicate what the union wants so that people understand it. When the opposition spokesperson says things, he needs to understand what the union has indicated in writing is its position after six months of negotiation. The union wants a minimum 24 per cent pay rise for all teachers around Western Australia over three years. This is in addition to all the allowances and expanded allowances that I outlined earlier. The union also wants an additional 40 minutes of non-teaching time a week for primary school teachers, reduced class sizes across many classes around Western Australia, an additional 80 minutes of non-teaching time for secondary heads of department, and, in addition, a range of other things. The union’s demands add up to $1.5 billion after six months of negotiation. I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for the question. The State School Teachers’ Union of WA has organised a rally at Parliament House this afternoon. The union has indicated it would not like the rally to be addressed by me, so I will outline what we have put on offer to the workforce for the information of the Parliament, and therefore the public of Western Australia. We offered to the workforce a pay rise of between 13.6 per cent and 22 per cent, depending upon experience and location. Senior classroom teachers, of whom there are more than 5 000 in Western Australia, which is nearly one-third of the workforce, will receive $84 357 a year by February 2011, which amounts to a 15.8 per cent pay rise. We offered easier advancement for thousands of teachers at level 2.4—the level after their seventh year of teaching—through to senior classroom teacher status, which means a 22 per cent pay rise over three years for those teachers. In addition, for the country teaching program, remote teaching service and the more difficult metropolitan schools to staff, we have offered teacher allowance increases of $4 000 in the country and $2 000 to $3 000 in the city. That means that at virtually all levels, Western Australian teachers are to be the best paid teachers out of all the states. Currently, there are two levels in New South Wales at which teachers are better paid than those in Western Australia. However, negotiation is a two-way street. We actually have to work constructively with the union to get a negotiated outcome, as we have been trying to do. I now indicate what the union wants so that people understand it. When the opposition spokesperson says things, he needs to understand what the union has indicated in writing is its position after six months of negotiation. The union wants a minimum 24 per cent pay rise for all teachers around Western Australia over three years. This is in addition to all the allowances and expanded allowances that I outlined earlier. The union also wants an additional 40 minutes of non-teaching time a week for primary school teachers, reduced class sizes across many classes around Western Australia, an additional 80 minutes of non-teaching time for secondary heads of department, and, in addition, a range of other things. The union’s demands add up to $1.5 billion after six months of negotiation. I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
I thank the member for the question. The State School Teachers’ Union of WA has organised a rally at Parliament House this afternoon. The union has indicated it would not like the rally to be addressed by me, so I will outline what we have put on offer to the workforce for the information of the Parliament, and therefore the public of Western Australia. We offered to the workforce a pay rise of between 13.6 per cent and 22 per cent, depending upon experience and location. Senior classroom teachers, of whom there are more than 5 000 in Western Australia, which is nearly one-third of the workforce, will receive $84 357 a year by February 2011, which amounts to a 15.8 per cent pay rise. We offered easier advancement for thousands of teachers at level 2.4—the level after their seventh year of teaching—through to senior classroom teacher status, which means a 22 per cent pay rise over three years for those teachers. In addition, for the country teaching program, remote teaching service and the more difficult metropolitan schools to staff, we have offered teacher allowance increases of $4 000 in the country and $2 000 to $3 000 in the city. That means that at virtually all levels, Western Australian teachers are to be the best paid teachers out of all the states. Currently, there are two levels in New South Wales at which teachers are better paid than those in Western Australia. However, negotiation is a two-way street. We actually have to work constructively with the union to get a negotiated outcome, as we have been trying to do. I now indicate what the union wants so that people understand it. When the opposition spokesperson says things, he needs to understand what the union has indicated in writing is its position after six months of negotiation. The union wants a minimum 24 per cent pay rise for all teachers around Western Australia over three years. This is in addition to all the allowances and expanded allowances that I outlined earlier. The union also wants an additional 40 minutes of non-teaching time a week for primary school teachers, reduced class sizes across many classes around Western Australia, an additional 80 minutes of non-teaching time for secondary heads of department, and, in addition, a range of other things. The union’s demands add up to $1.5 billion after six months of negotiation. I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
However, negotiation is a two-way street. We actually have to work constructively with the union to get a negotiated outcome, as we have been trying to do. I now indicate what the union wants so that people understand it. When the opposition spokesperson says things, he needs to understand what the union has indicated in writing is its position after six months of negotiation. The union wants a minimum 24 per cent pay rise for all teachers around Western Australia over three years. This is in addition to all the allowances and expanded allowances that I outlined earlier. The union also wants an additional 40 minutes of non-teaching time a week for primary school teachers, reduced class sizes across many classes around Western Australia, an additional 80 minutes of non-teaching time for secondary heads of department, and, in addition, a range of other things. The union’s demands add up to $1.5 billion after six months of negotiation. I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
Mr M. McGOWAN replied: I thank the member for the question. The State School Teachers’ Union of WA has organised a rally at Parliament House this afternoon. The union has indicated it would not like the rally to be addressed by me, so I will outline what we have put on offer to the workforce for the information of the Parliament, and therefore the public of Western Australia. We offered to the workforce a pay rise of between 13.6 per cent and 22 per cent, depending upon experience and location. Senior classroom teachers, of whom there are more than 5 000 in Western Australia, which is nearly one-third of the workforce, will receive $84 357 a year by February 2011, which amounts to a 15.8 per cent pay rise. We offered easier advancement for thousands of teachers at level 2.4—the level after their seventh year of teaching—through to senior classroom teacher status, which means a 22 per cent pay rise over three years for those teachers. In addition, for the country teaching program, remote teaching service and the more difficult metropolitan schools to staff, we have offered teacher allowance increases of $4 000 in the country and $2 000 to $3 000 in the city. That means that at virtually all levels, Western Australian teachers are to be the best paid teachers out of all the states. Currently, there are two levels in New South Wales at which teachers are better paid than those in Western Australia. However, negotiation is a two-way street. We actually have to work constructively with the union to get a negotiated outcome, as we have been trying to do. I now indicate what the union wants so that people understand it. When the opposition spokesperson says things, he needs to understand what the union has indicated in writing is its position after six months of negotiation. The union wants a minimum 24 per cent pay rise for all teachers around Western Australia over three years. This is in addition to all the allowances and expanded allowances that I outlined earlier. The union also wants an additional 40 minutes of non-teaching time a week for primary school teachers, reduced class sizes across many classes around Western Australia, an additional 80 minutes of non-teaching time for secondary heads of department, and, in addition, a range of other things. The union’s demands add up to $1.5 billion after six months of negotiation. I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
I thank the member for the question. The State School Teachers’ Union of WA has organised a rally at Parliament House this afternoon. The union has indicated it would not like the rally to be addressed by me, so I will outline what we have put on offer to the workforce for the information of the Parliament, and therefore the public of Western Australia. We offered to the workforce a pay rise of between 13.6 per cent and 22 per cent, depending upon experience and location. Senior classroom teachers, of whom there are more than 5 000 in Western Australia, which is nearly one-third of the workforce, will receive $84 357 a year by February 2011, which amounts to a 15.8 per cent pay rise. We offered easier advancement for thousands of teachers at level 2.4—the level after their seventh year of teaching—through to senior classroom teacher status, which means a 22 per cent pay rise over three years for those teachers. In addition, for the country teaching program, remote teaching service and the more difficult metropolitan schools to staff, we have offered teacher allowance increases of $4 000 in the country and $2 000 to $3 000 in the city. That means that at virtually all levels, Western Australian teachers are to be the best paid teachers out of all the states. Currently, there are two levels in New South Wales at which teachers are better paid than those in Western Australia. However, negotiation is a two-way street. We actually have to work constructively with the union to get a negotiated outcome, as we have been trying to do. I now indicate what the union wants so that people understand it. When the opposition spokesperson says things, he needs to understand what the union has indicated in writing is its position after six months of negotiation. The union wants a minimum 24 per cent pay rise for all teachers around Western Australia over three years. This is in addition to all the allowances and expanded allowances that I outlined earlier. The union also wants an additional 40 minutes of non-teaching time a week for primary school teachers, reduced class sizes across many classes around Western Australia, an additional 80 minutes of non-teaching time for secondary heads of department, and, in addition, a range of other things. The union’s demands add up to $1.5 billion after six months of negotiation. I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
However, negotiation is a two-way street. We actually have to work constructively with the union to get a negotiated outcome, as we have been trying to do. I now indicate what the union wants so that people understand it. When the opposition spokesperson says things, he needs to understand what the union has indicated in writing is its position after six months of negotiation. The union wants a minimum 24 per cent pay rise for all teachers around Western Australia over three years. This is in addition to all the allowances and expanded allowances that I outlined earlier. The union also wants an additional 40 minutes of non-teaching time a week for primary school teachers, reduced class sizes across many classes around Western Australia, an additional 80 minutes of non-teaching time for secondary heads of department, and, in addition, a range of other things. The union’s demands add up to $1.5 billion after six months of negotiation. I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
I hear the opposition spokesperson say we need to offer decent pay rises. He supports the union position. Does the Leader of the Opposition support the union position? Does he support that 24 per cent pay rise? Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
Mr T. Buswell : I support a fair wage and outcome for teachers. Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The opposition spokesperson agrees with everything the union has to say, when the reality is that if the opposition were elected to government, teachers around Western Australia would be placed on individual contracts. That is the opposition’s policy—that is its fundamental belief. The teachers will lose all power of negotiation under that system. The government has been negotiating in good faith over the past six months, but it is very difficult when these sorts of unreasonable demands are made.
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