- The Guardian
- Issue #2199
Teachers march through Melbourne streets.
Australian Education Union (AEU) Victorian Branch members have voted to reject the Allan Labor government’s latest public school pay and conditions offer.
The results of the online vote of members was 48.82% to 51.18% in favour of rejecting the offer. More than 50,677 members took part in the vote, representing 90.2% of AEU members eligible to vote.
President Justin Mullaly said the outcome of the vote sends an undeniable message to the Premier and the Education Minister, that they must fully fund public schools.
“AEU members have been telling the Victorian Labor government for years that the under-resourcing of public schools in Victoria is making their work untenable.
“When just 3 in 10 public school teachers plan to stay working in public schools in Victoria, it is obvious there is a problem.
“Victorian public school teachers, principals and education support staff are demanding the Allan Labor government acts in line with what they say Victoria is.
“This government says this is the education state. But this can’t be the case when this government has deliberately ripped $2.4 billion out of our public schools.
“AEU members are asking the Premier and Education Minister to explain; how can you call Victoria the education state when our public schools are the lowest funded in the country?
“Why are teachers, school leaders and education support staff working an average 12 hours unpaid overtime every week if this is truly the education state?
“If Victoria was actually the education state, public school staff would have access to the funding and resources they need to deliver the education their students deserve.
“This is the message we will deliver directly to the government on Thursday when AEU members will stop work for 24 hours and march to Parliament.
“Premier Allan and Education Minister Ben Carroll, fix your public school funding mess and put a pay and conditions offer on the table that properly respects the work of AEU members,” Mullaly said.
Members of the AEU across the state will proceed with a 24-hour stopwork action, as well as a rally and march on Victorian Parliament House.
