The IEU on education and workers rights this federal election
The IEU’s priorities are to support the workplace rights of our members and advocate for fair, effective and fully funded education policies - never more important than during a federal election campaign.
Right now, as we prepare to negotiate a new Victorian Catholic Agreement, our top concern is the right of our members to take protected industrial action and to seek bargaining assistance from the Fair Work Commission. Of course we can hope that neither of these steps are necessary, but without these rights the industrial playing field may as well be on a Himalayan slope – and these rights are very much at risk under a Dutton government.
**STOP PRESS #1: Election eve costings reveal Dutton’s plan to scrap student teacher prac placements
Labor’s most effectual work in its first term was on restoring essential worker’s rights. IEU members have been major beneficiaries of reforms to restore fairness to workplace laws and collective bargaining rights.
As our recent article in The Point stated, key reforms include:
Multi-employer bargaining rights, empowering workers across multiple employers in similar enterprises to negotiate better pay and conditions. Staff in Victorian Catholic education are one of the largest groups of workers in the country to benefit from this change.
Legal rights and protections for Reps, including the right to paid leave to attend union training. This has been a game-changer in many of our Award-based independent schools, boosing the confidence, empowerment and knowledge of Reps.
Wage rises for low-paid workers, including government-funded increases for childcare staff.
New protections for casual workers and minimum standards for gig workers.
Legislation outlawing wage theft and introducing domestic violence leave.
These changes have begun to reverse years of erosion in worker rights and the wage stagnation experienced under the previous government.
IEU Federal Secretary Federal Secretary Brad Hayes says education deserved a higher standard of debate and mature policy discussion in this election campaign. But it is clear which side of politics has done more and promised more for the education sector.
He commended the federal Labor government for delivering 100% funding for all public schools while also ensuring long-term funding certainty for the non-government school sector. Brad praised federal government improvements to early childhood education which will provide higher wages, more accessible education and a renewed focus on the not-for-profit community sector.
Brad says the federal Labor government’s cuts to HECS debts and introduction of paid teacher practicums are “important steps to building a sustainable teacher workforce for future generations”.
The IEU is disappointed at the coalition resorting to “glib media soundbites and Trump-like hyperbole to attack teacher autonomy and professional judgement”.
“Dedicated education professionals striving to deliver a high-quality education for their students condemned the divisive and ill-informed comments made by the leader of the opposition Peter Dutton earlier in the election campaign,” Brad said. “Rather than learn from his mistake, Mr Dutton instead chose to double down on his attacks on teachers and school leaders.”
Brad says the federal LNP opposition “failed to engage with the core issues impacting the education system and teaching and learning in the classroom”.
He called out politicians who have made teachers, school leaders and education professionals “political punching bags”.
“All political candidates should be engaging with the profession to jointly develop a plan on how to attract, support and retain our next generation of teachers. Anything less is failing our students and failing our nation’s future.”
Religion, the state, elections and education
There have been some notable but not always constructive political activities from employers in our sector during this election campaign.
This Age news story points out that “The Catholic Church in Victoria has intervened in the federal election campaign, attempting to dissuade their school parents from voting for Greens or independent candidates in seven hotly contested electorates”.
The Victorian Catholic Education Authority has also written to parents in key seats in that state urging a vote against independent and minor party candidates.
While it's legitimate for Catholic employers to draw the attention of parents in their schools to the funding positions of the various candidates, we would think that they might comment also on those same candidates' attitudes toward broader social justice concerns confronting school communities as well as the effects of the industrial relations policies of the parties on the valued staff who work in their schools. It’s the leaders at school level who cop the inevitable backlash from parents unhappy about being told how to vote, and the IEU is concerned that this has not been properly considered.
Meanwhile, the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren) is sending hundreds of its members to pre-polling booths in marginal seats, campaigning for the Liberal party under instructions them to keep their church affiliation secret. Plymouth doctrine opposes voting and abortion, condemns homosexuality and demeans women.
And finally, for those interested in some light relief doubling as useful preparation for tackling that metre-long Senate ballot, we recommend a squiz at this ‘unofficial, offbeat and irreverent’ senate voting guide.