Ratification Just Puts Off The Fight
Thursday 29 Aug 2002
Today's ratification of the secondary teacher's pay deal signals a new round of warfare between teachers and the
Government, ACT Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata said today.
"Education Minister Trevor Mallard will today regret creating a system where kindergarten teachers, primary teachers
and secondary teachers are all tied to the same pay scale, regardless of their performance.
"Primary teachers are already starting to complain that the latest deal ruins pay parity. How soon will it be before
these teachers copy their secondary colleagues and take industrial action, holding our children's future to ransom?
"Trevor Mallard has prolonged the chaos in our schools by refusing to dump the antiquated, centralised pay system. The
industrial action will not end until individual communities have the ability to pay good teachers more. Today's
ratification just puts off the fight until tomorrow, leaving bureaucrats and unionists in charge of our children's
lives," Mrs Awatere Huata said.
Ends