CTU media release

23 October 2009

Calls for pay trade-off fooled no one

 
Comments by the Prime Minister to the CTU conference this week that teachers should trade off their own pay rises to fund fair pay rates for low paid school support staff were provocative and a cynical attempt to shift blame for his Government’s unacceptable approach to support staff negotiations on to their colleagues, CTU President Helen Kelly said today.

“The low pay of school support staff is a result of continued undervaluation and gender discrimination in their pay rates,” said Kelly.  “Firstly the Government closes down the pay and employment equity unit established to address this type of issue, then it takes a zero pay increase policy and tries to apply it across the state sector regardless of the genuine claims many workers are making, including school support staff. Then it tries to suggest that this is somehow all the fault of the teachers.”

“Yet in the same speech the Prime Minister repeated his desire to see pay rates in this country reach the levels of Australian workers. The mixed message and underlying attempt to deflect the approach of the Government to wage increases that will actually only widen that gap did not convince anyone.  I have no doubt teachers will enter into their own wage negotiations seeking resolution of a number of genuine concerns teachers have including pay rates.  Short changing teacher pay will not result in fair pay for school support staff and would create a legacy of teacher shortages and ultimately reduced educational achievement.”

“The CTU calls on the Government to think longer-term about its pay policies in the state sector and approach all these negotiations with a willingness to negotiate and find fair outcomes for the workers it employs.” 

ENDS

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