No skills without TAFE teachers

On Wednesday 21 August, AEU TAFE members took historic stopwork action.

Hundreds of members from Victoria's 12 standalone TAFES marched on Parliament House to demand that Premier Jacinta Allan come to the table with a fair deal.

TAFE Teachers, Senior Educators, and Education Managers are undervalued and overworked. They face excessive workloads, increased class sizes, outdated classifications, and insulting rates of pay.

The state government's 3% offer is unacceptable. From 1 July 2024, experienced TAFE teachers will be earning around 7% (almost $8,000) LESS than school teachers with comparative experience.

We won't back down until we secure a deal that addresses TAFE members' key issues and gives them the respect they deserve.

Campaign resources

Email or call Premier Jacinta Allan & the TAFE Minister - contact details and info to help inform your message – PDF with contact list and some notes to help inform your message

Why take action poster – PDF to download and print

Join the AEU to take action poster – PDF to download and print

TAFE campaign placard - no skills without TAFE – PDF to download and print

TAFE campaign placard - Premier Allan fix TAFE – PDF to download and print

AEU online meeting background – JPG to download and use as your background image

'Without TAFE teachers, there will be no builders' social media tile – PNG image to download and use on your socials

'Without TAFE teachers, there will be no chefs' social media tile – PNG image to download and use on your socials

Listen to our radio ad and watch our YouTube campaign ad

What can TAFE members do?

Step 1: Take protected industrial action

TAFE members have been taking protected industrial action since April, including:

stopworks on 12 June 2024, 24 July 2024 and 21 August 2024.
a ban on up to one hour per week from attending meetings called by the employer or a TAFE employee on behalf of the employer, in place since 27 May 2024.
stopping work for the duration of any campus visit by a state Labor MP.
bans on performance of Excess Teaching Duty Hours.
bans on work related to auditing and professional development.
bans on providing documents or other material related to audit processes or the validation and moderation of course materials.
bans on recording student engagement or attendance.
bans on participation in promotional events including events designed to attract new students.
bans on responding to management enquiries other than enquiries related to OHS matters, teacher’s entitlements, or student welfare.

FAQS ON TAKING ACTION

Step 2: Wear red on Wednesdays

Bans will include 'Wear Red Wednesdays' days to boost visibility for the campaign.

For a limited time, members can also order a red AEU t-shirt at no cost – visit the AEU shop and enter this promo code at checkout: TAFEANDUNITED.

Step 3: Look out for our emails

The campaign can move quickly, and our main way to update members is via email, so keep an eye on your inbox. You can also find links to all TAFE campaign emails below.

If you haven't been receiving our member emails, please check your junk folder and select 'not junk' for any AEU messages. Otherwise, contact us.

Step 4: Ask a non-member colleague to join the union

Non-members cannot lawfully take industrial action for better pay and conditons at work.

You and other AEU members should not carry the load for teachers who have not joined – we all need to be in this together.

Ask your colleagues to join the AEU so they can take action with you. Only strength in numbers will see you win a fair and decent outcome.

Step 5: Talk to your colleagues about the government's insulting offer

Tell your colleagues about the insulting offer put to TAFE teachers by the state government:

a minimal pay rise of 3% per year, when similarly experienced school teachers are paid around 7% more
a push for more teaching hours – moving from 800 hours to 840 hours annually
taking time for in-class assessment out of teaching hours
no relief from excessive workloads
no improvements to the classification structure or how teaching qualifications are recognised.

Your log of claims

At the start of 2022, AEU TAFE members were clear about the key issues to be addressed in negotiations for a new agreement.

SEE FULL LOG OF CLAIMS

Excessive workloads
You called for a reduction in teaching hours, an increase in preparation time, shaved hours addressed, and in-class assessment acknowledged as teaching.
Secure employment
You want to see more ongoing full and part-time positions, along with improved arrangements for casual teachers, and a review of the use of 'industry expert' casuals.
Qualifications
You want to be recognised for your skills, knowledge and experience, and see proper acknowledgement of the importance of education and vocational qualifications for high-quality teaching and learning.
Pay rises
You want the role of TAFE teachers to be valued and respected and for this to be rewarded through improved salaries that reflect your worth.