Teachers strike

By Ed Merrison
SCHOOL classes across the Dandenong Ranges were expected to be disrupted today (Tuesday) as teachers walked off the job to join a mass rally against the Federal Government’s proposed industrial relations reforms.
Teachers at many of the region’s primary and secondary schools warned principals of their intention to join strikes on Tuesday, 15 November, which would cause a widespread cancellation of classes.
Upwey High School principal Greg Holman said about 45 members of staff would not be attending school on Tuesday, which represented about 75 per cent of the faculty.
Mr Holman said years eight, nine and 10 would not have classes on Tuesday, but said a day’s disruption was “not a problem”.
“The staff have got a right to take action as they see fit,” Mr Holman said.
Boronia Heights Secondary College principal Jan Thomas also said teachers had the right to make the decision to strike, and that a number of teaching and administrative staff would miss school to take part in the rally.
“It is not going to be a normal day, but adequate notice has been given to parents,” Ms Thomas said.
But not all schools were affected, with Upper Ferntree Gully Primary and Ferntree Gully Primary expecting no staff to be involved in the protest.
Belgrave South Primary School principal Dick Bartley said about 75 per cent of his faculty would not be attending school on Tuesday.
Mr Bartley said he probably would have joined protesters had he not been obligated to run the school.
“I personally believe (the IR reforms) will affect the school’s children and my own children detrimentally,” he said.
State Premier Steve Bracks, Education Minister Lynne Kosky and Ferntree Gully MP Anne Eckstein were among 500 people who endorsed an advertisement in The Age on Monday, 14 November urging “fellow Australians to participate in the National Day of Community Protest”.
A spokesman for Ms Kosky said that supervision would be provided if any parents wanted their children to attend school, and that she hoped families would not be ‘put out’.
“It is one day of protest that may put families out, but if the new laws go through they will adversely affect working families in the days, weeks and months to come,” the spokesman said.
Ms Eckstein promoted the rights of workers to register their dissatisfaction with the proposed reforms, which she described as “draconian and un-Australian”.
“There are some fundamental issues on which we have to stand and be counted. This is one of them,” she said.
“This is an issue of fundamental importance to our community, our workers and their families, and to our future way of life.”
La Trobe MP Jason Wood defended the proposed IR reforms, saying they were in the long-term interests of the country and its students. “I want reforms in place to encourage employers to employ more people. As students graduate they’ll have more chance of getting a job,” he said.
Mr Wood said although teachers could choose whether or not to strike, it was not the best way of voicing their concerns.
“The teachers, like anyone else, have the right to protest and that’s what’s great about this country, but at the same time there’s no need for local teachers to go and strike. If they have any concerns over specific issues they can come and see me. That way they can have their issue heard and their students can get on with their day to day education,” Mr Wood said.