2021-12-07
The Greens NSW support today’s teachers strike that is demanding fair wages and conditions for over-worked teachers and an end to the damaging public sector wage cap that has been freezing teacher pay at or below inflation for almost a decade.
The NSW Government’s own internal studies show that there is a looming teacher shortage caused by low pay and overwork which is exacerbated by the fact that almost a quarter of public school teachers are due to retire in the next 5 years.
With the NSW Industrial Relations Commission unable to award a pay rise higher than inflation and the NSW Government resorting to insults rather than negotiation, teachers have been forced to take today’s strike action.
Greens MP and Education Spokesperson David Shoebridge said: “Teachers stepped up over the past two years with incredible work loads to deliver online teaching and adapt to the pandemic and now they need our support.
“It is deeply unfortunate that the Education Minister has decided to attack the NSW Teachers Federation rather than tackle the falling wages and unfair workload teachers are facing.
“The Teachers Federation, with the backing of tens of thousands of teachers, is responding to an arrogant government that refuses to negotiate a fair pay rise. That’s what this strike is about.
“In the last two years teachers have not only been on the front line of the pandemic but they have repeatedly had to pivot from in person to online learning.
“Last year’s 0.3% wage increase was an insult, hard working teachers deserve so much more than this dismissive Government is offering.
“We know that today’s strike will inconvenience some families and disrupt teaching, but the bigger risk to the education system is continuing to disrespect teachers and thousands of teacher vacancies in the next few years.
“Teachers deserve #MoreThanThanks, they deserve pay which reflects the importance of their work, and a real plan to deal with increasing hours,” Mr Shoebridge said.