Teachers working in Victorian TAFEs will stop work if a Labor member of the Victorian parliament visits their campus as part of industrial action commencing today.
The action is necessary as the Allan Labor government has failed to put a fair and reasonable pay and conditions offer on the table.
“After almost two years of negotiations, TAFE teachers want to know why the Allan Labor government doesn’t value their work and has turned their back on them,” Justin Mullaly, AEU Victorian branch deputy president said.
Industrial action will include:
- 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.
TAFE teachers need to have excessive and unsustainable workloads addressed through new measures, better recognition of and funded support for teaching qualifications, and a pay rise which values their work and which retains existing teachers and attracts the next generation to the profession to address the shortage of TAFE teachers.
“Put simply, every Victorian benefits from a well-supported and appropriately valued TAFE teaching workforce,” Mr Mullaly said.
“TAFE is the best place to equip workers with the vocational education and skills they need to get a secure, well-paid job and it’s the pipeline of workers that business needs to successfully operate.
“The students that complete TAFE courses go on to be the essential workers we all rely on: nurses and support workers, carpenters, plumbers, and electricians, early childhood educators, aged care and disability support workers, fitness and health instructors, agriculture workers, just to name a few.
“The Allan Labor government has a responsibility to the entire Victorian community to ensure that every TAFE teacher is well supported and respected so they can deliver high quality education and training to students. At this stage the government has failed in that responsibility.
“When Labor was elected in 2014, they promised to save TAFE. But Victoria has had the lowest funded TAFE system in the country for the last 10 years. TAFE teachers are paid significantly less than similarly experienced public school teachers, and there is a major shortage of TAFE teachers.
“The failure to fund TAFE properly has led to student learning time being cut with the expectation that TAFE teachers will deliver the same content in less time. It has meant TAFE teachers workload has blown out as they are teaching more classes and undertake greater levels of administration, preparation and assessment as a result, as well as teaching increasingly larger class sizes.
“TAFE teachers are burning out. Too many are leaving TAFE to return to industry where they may receive greater pay without the stress and excessive workloads they currently experience.
“These issues must be addressed through appropriate pay and conditions for TAFE teachers.
“Unless the Allan Labor government puts an agreement on the table that values TAFE teachers and addresses the teacher shortage, we will be forced to take steps towards more significant stop work action. The ball is in the Allan government’s court,” Mr Mullaly said.
Key background information for media:
- Industrial action will be implemented in Victoria’s 12 standalone TAFEs.
- It has been almost two years since negotiations commenced and 18 months since TAFE teachers received a pay rise.
- Skill shortages across the Victorian economy are being impacted by a shortage of TAFE teachers to deliver the courses needed.
- As of 1 July 2024, TAFE teachers will be paid $7,742 or over 7% less than similarly experienced school teachers.
- In the recent protected industrial action ballot, an average of 97% of TAFE teachers voted in favour of authorising stop work action.
MEDIA CONTACT: ALYS GAGNON – 0438 379 977
22 April 2024