Is our TAFE campaign having an impact? YOU BET!

From what every stopwork meeting has told us without exception, TAFE teachers are committed to seeing this campaign through to get the pay justice you deserve and better job security for casual teachers.

As reported in our October 27 Bulletin, discussions with TAFE employers had progressed enough that to finalise any agreement, the issue of pay needed to be addressed and resolved. Minister Jacinta Allan and Skills Victoria (formerly OTTE) were advised of the progress and told that a decision about a pay offer was urgently needed if industrial action was to be averted.

There is no doubt the AEU's TAFE campaign is building pressure through the media, because Minister Allan has clearly felt the need to respond in public. Regrettably she has done so by claiming falsely that the problem is not with the government but with the AEU and the TAFE employers.

The AEU wants to put it clearly on record that the issue is with government and has been now for some six weeks.

The AEU has given government every opportunity to resolve this pay dispute. Minister Allan and Premier Brumby are guilty of a failure to lead. The government now has the period before our November 25 Stopwork Rally to come to the party on the issue of pay. The AEU is ready to negotiate anytime, any place.

Again we are calling on ALL TAFE TEACHERS to stopwork for 24 hours in protest at the way this government is being so dismissive of your claim for pay justice and better job security.

Sub-branch meetings are being held during the next two weeks with union officers in attendance to give teachers an up-to-date report. Please endeavour to attend the meeting at your sub-branch.

Advice on Unofficial Action

There is a groundswell of emotion from members in a number of locations who want to refuse to submit results, attend open days, take phone calls and other unofficial action outside of our stopwork campaign.

This is a sign of the anger and frustration that our members are feeling and is entirely understandable. However, the success of our battle will depend on us being disciplined and united and sticking to the program of action that AEU TAFE Councillors have set out.

Under WorkChoices--yes it is still in force--refusing to submit results, or any similar action can lead not only to a member being disciplined without legal recourse, but to also losing their pay for as long as they continue in their protest. Members could potentially lose weeks of salary.

Our actions must be focussed now on the government, not on the TAFE employers and students.

MARY BLUETT
Branch President

GILLIAN ROBERTSON
Vice President - TAP Sector