Time for a re-think?

By Charles  

How did they do it to us? Were they smarter? More devious? Game-playing geniuses? Or were we, as a union, too weak, too embedded in this government, to see the wood for the trees?

We accepted a pay offer that looked bad at the time. That looked, with inflation hovering about 3.5%, as if it would just keep our heads above water. Now, we just look stupid- inflation is predicted to reach 4.4% in the September quarter and re-fixing our home loans at a higher interest rate is starting to bite. But never mind; as a collective we decided, overwhelmingly (apparently), to accept last years’ 4% 4% 4% pay offer from the government. So, once again, an effective pay cut for our nation’s teachers.

Why did we accept this offer? My recollection of the pre-offer meetings where we outlined our demands was that the 4% a year of option A was only to be accepted if a raft of other improvements to conditions were accepted. And what do we get? “Endeavouring to reduce class sizes”. We are told it has legal ramifications, but with no more staffing going with it, how can we expect our schools to do anything about it? The timetable meetings have not produced any secrets (of course not- anyone with any experience of timetabling knows how tight things already are- they only way to free up time in most schools is to cut classes, which cuts options for our kids)

When we went to our PUMs to vote, there was no plan B, there was no thought that we could ask for more. This was it, a fait accompli, take it or leave it. Oh, and if we leave it, a week-long strike would be needed to move things along again. Really? Who decided that? We had only threatened a one-day strike earlier and an extra $50million appeared as if from nowhere.

In no way will our 3 year pay-cut make more experienced teachers want to stay teaching longer, in no way will our 3 year pay cut make our young teachers stay in the country and in no way will our 3 year pay-cut make more quality people want to become teachers.

The answer- a complete rethink of what we want from our union. We fought hard for better conditions through 2001-2007, we got non-contact time, but is anyone working less hard? Of course not- teaching always expands to fill the time available for it. So it is pay we need to tackle- and we need to start thinking about how to do it now and put an effective plan in place. Should we try for a big blanket increase? What about performance related pay? Is it the MUs we need to drastically increase?

What we don’t need is the same again next time; a rushed, badly executed limp from one badly though out claim to another. We were outplayed and outthought by the MoE- they must have been ecstatic at getting away so lightly. Let’s not let them off so easily again.