Parliamentary Solutions A Dead-End for Workers
NSW teachers copped a harsh lesson in August, when the Minns’ Labor government blindsided the NSW Teachers Federation with last minute additional onerous conditions on proposed award conditions.
Following 12 years of stagnant wages and worsening conditions, there has been a massive exodus of young and old teachers to other states and other jobs. A new and energised NSW Teachers Federation leadership began its “Not Just Thanks” campaign.
After collecting data and conducting a statewide enquiry headed by a former premier , an Industrial court judge and an education academic the NSWTF poured petrol on the fire of teacher’s anger with rallies and strikes.
With a public sector wages cap by NSW LNP government legislation on public servants, teachers, nurses and hospital workers and faced some of some of the lowest comparative salaries and wages in Australia. And despite rising prices, rents and inflation, the NSW LNP governments of Berejiklian and Perottet were unrelenting in their determination to retain the salary caps.
The NSW government also battled against a wave of public support for nurses and teachers after the Covid lockdown times. Across the state, teachers in went on strike. Teachers Federation union membership grew and crowds at rallies and strike meetings in cities and regions energized the membership .
As an election loomed, an opportunistic Minns ALP opposition in October 2022, approached the TF leadership with a deal of in principle support for teacher demands . Against better instincts, the TF leadership abandoned planned strike action and committed itself to working for the election of a Minns ALP government. At union meetings there was a wave of anger and disbelief as union action was mobilized to elect Minns and evict the Perrottet LNP. Attendance and enthusiasm crashed; old hands well aware of the historical treachery of the ALP government dealings with teachers, could not believe the news.
When the LNP Perrottet government was run out of town by an angry populace fed up with massive transport bungles, health system failures and massive turmoil in education; the TF set about negotiating the detail of a new industrial agreement. There was no great affection for Minns who grappled with the threat of minority government at first.
NSW teachers and other public sector workers became alarmed the snail’s pace approach of the Minns movement on removing the cap on wages. Nurses and health workers went on strike, but TF continued negotiations. When the extent of massive debts run-up by the former LNP governments in their grandiose stadiums and tollway programs was revealed nobody was surprised.
In August, according to TF president Angelo Gavrelatos, as the final touches to the negotiations were finalized the government team suddenly introduced new conditions of a salary cap of 2% for the following two years of the award .
TF officials were horrified and Gavrelatos was almost in tears denouncing “Betrayal”
And their response to this act of bastardy – email Minns and tell them “ Honour the Deal”
The lesson for teachers and all workers – don’t surrender to the promises of parliamentary parties. Instead fight hard to extract the best deal in the industrial arena.
