Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.Victorian Trades Hall Council. The voice of Victorian workers since 1856.

AEU EBA DISPUTE

28 April 2008
By Brian Boyd, VTHC Secretary

The 3.25% offer to Victorian teachers is an insult.  It is and has been an insult to all Victorian Public sector workers.

The drawn out approach to negotiations by the Victorian government is also insulting and kindergarten stuff.  It is not the way a modern 21st century government should behave, especially with regard to its own public sector workforce.

Back on 5th April, The Australian newspaper had a story with the headline: “Wages row earns Brumby low marks”.  It summed up over a year of game playing with EBA’s in the public sector, across the board.

Could it get worse?  Yes, because we saw the use of Howard’s remnant IR laws against Victorian public sector workers by the State government.  The laws are politically dead after the November 20 07 federal election, but technically alive until replaced.

Why is this particularly galling?

The Victorian government leadership joined the trade union movement at the big rallies during 2005, 2006, 2007 in the concerted broader labour movement campaign to end Howard’s IR assault on workers and trade union rights.  To use that very same vicious IR legislation is a blatant breach of faith.

Then we see more particular game playing by the Victorian Minister for Education.  She goes along with supporting national literacy and numeracy tests.  We see her participation in an important education forum with the Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard. 

The Victorian government also revealed it was considering “partnerships” between the State and Catholic systems.  The Education Minister said Victoria has a unique opportunity to refine the overall delivery of education in the State. 

All grand sentiments indeed.  But may I suggest coming from the rarified air of someone, not connected with what’s going on – on the ground.

How can anyone think that such ‘big picture’ stuff can be considered seriously when the teaching workforce has ever lowering morale because of the pathetic pay and conditions operating in Victoria, coupled with an industrial and political campaign going on for over a year, that has the public supporting teachers to get a better and fairer deal.

This game playing, this pretence that it’s “business as usual” is insulting indeed.
Let’s get the horse before the cart.  Bedded down industrial arrangements must be concluded, before it is in reality “business as usual”.

The government should negotiate in good faith.  This is after all, Victorian Government policy!

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