Award stripping threatens working conditions

In a message to all QTU members, the Queensland Government has finally revealed the full impact of its plans for award stripping in schools.

On Thursday 9 October, the Minister for Education sent an email to all employees in which he sought to clarify the “truth” of award modernisation, as opposed to the advice being provided to members by the QTU.

While the Minister’s message correctly identified that teachers are concerned about the potential negative impacts of the process, it is the actions of the government (not the Union) that have created this concern.

Members only need to be reminded of the government’s continued announcement of changes to their conditions in the form of Great Teachers = Great Results, the School Improvement Unit, the change to the rounding provision in the allocative model, the removal of the resource teacher allocation in secondary schools, the removal of funding for programs such as Fanfare and MOST and the release of the Great Results Guarantee funds at the start of this year, in the absence of negotiation and consultation with the Union, to know that the government’s agenda is not one of transparency and openness when it comes to education.

The Minister and his government are saying “trust us” – members wisely didn’t believe them on that score in the last EB, and are hardly likely to this time, now we know the agenda of contracts, performance-based bonuses, attempts at teacher rankings, school closures etc.

The Minister once again has attempted to hide behind rhetoric regarding the government’s agenda. A process that seeks to remove conditions from the award and restricts those matters that can form part of a certified agreement can be seen as nothing other than award stripping.

The Minister’s belief that matters such as class sizes, transfers and RAIS are “matters of policy” rather than recognising them as conditions (they are in the certified agreement after all) clearly demonstrates that this government has designed legislation in an attempt to push through its agenda and remove the protections to your working conditions.

Now the Minister is telling teachers that the department has no intention of changing its employment conditions “at this time”! Given the government’s track record, that is less than reassuring. Members only need to remember that when this government thought contracts for doctors was a good idea it changed the legislation to override awards and agreements so that these contracts could be offered. It has also changed the legislation to remove the effect of some clauses in certified agreements (such as the union encouragement and job security clauses) despite reaching agreement with the QTU on these matters in 2012.

Members are too wise to accept the government’s assertion that it is fully committed to the conditions in the certified agreement.

Members are congratulated on their continued resolve to take industrial action should the government move ahead with contracts for principals, performance pay, changes to class sizes and performance appraisal processes – it has obviously resulted in this response from the Minister and the commitment to negotiate with the QTU about any attempts to change members working conditions.

For further information on award modernisation and its impact on enterprise bargaining visit www.qtu.asn.au/rtp-conditionsatrisk

Kate Ruttiman
Deputy General Secretary

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 119 No 8, 14 November 2014, p11