Thousands of SA public school teachers could strike for better pay

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Thousands of South Australian public school teachers could walk off the job in a fortnight as the education union escalates industrial action over its new pay and conditions deal.

Transcript

00:00 The steps of State Parliament flooded by teachers and supporters four years ago.

00:06 A sight set to be repeated on September 1st if the Education Union and Government can't

00:11 find common ground on a pay and conditions deal.

00:14 That's the sort of showing that's necessary I think to sharpen the Government's mind to

00:19 the problem that we face as a profession and as a public education system in South Australia.

00:24 From tomorrow the Union will ballot members about holding a one day strike over its new

00:28 agreement.

00:29 Andrew Goal says measures in the current Government offer to mitigate ballooning teacher workloads

00:34 plus workforce attraction, retention and pay are among the sticking points.

00:39 What's on the table will see a continuation of the excessive workload and the poor levels

00:45 of support for students that have been experienced already.

00:48 The Government has offered a 3% pay rise each year over three years.

00:53 The AEU asked for 8.6% in the first year alone.

00:58 These are dramatic increases with less hours in front of students.

01:02 So we're disappointed.

01:03 We'd like them to come back to the negotiating table.

01:08 Teachers held multiple strikes under the former Liberal Government during its last round of

01:12 negotiations.

01:14 These sorts of actions are damaging to cultures within schools.

01:17 They tear school communities apart.

01:19 So I think that the Union is incumbent on the Union to do everything they can to avoid

01:23 that sort of industrial action.

01:24 But the Union claims John Gardner's successor as Minister, Blair Boyer, isn't the issue.

01:29 I don't think the problem rests with the Minister.

01:33 I think the problem rests with the Premier and the Treasurer.

01:36 Our Premier is passionate about education.

01:38 We're the Labor Party.

01:39 We believe education is our only silver bullet.

01:42 Parents won't know until the end of next week if the strike will happen.

01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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