It’s the second time in two months that strike action has resulted in the closure of the state’s schools, with stopwork action and rallies held in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.
Speaking in front of a substantial gathering at St David’s Park in Hobart this morning, president of AEU Tasmania Branch David Genford said teachers were fed up with “a Government that does not want to respect us, does not prioritise us and treats us so poorly that we have little option to show up today and strike in our second last week of school for 2025”.
“This is a Government that is able to find money when they want to – they found money for their many electoral promises, money for a stadium, they need to find money for public sector workers, to treat you with respect and to show that you actually mean something to them.
“Our support staff deserve to be paid for 52 weeks of the year, what I want to see them do is actually put in legitimate changes that fix the workflow for all educators in our schools, what I want to see is our cleaners and our admin staff treated like they matter in this public sector system.”
Genford said the Government and school staff are still far from reaching agreement.
The AEU, along with other public sector unions, have rejected a Tasmania Government offer of a one-year pay deal.
On ABC Mornings on Tuesday, Genford said union members “didn’t want to interrupt school at all”, but that the Government was refusing necessary investment in the public sector.
“It’s really disappointing we’re in the position that we feel the need to do this,” Genford said.
All education union members have been on strike this morning, but the action is in support of school support staff, who Genford said are “the people that are due a pay rise now”.
Staff at Forth Primary School on Tasmania’s North West Coast have got behind support staff co-workers this morning. PHOTO: AEU Tasmania Branch
School support staff include teachers’ assistants, cleaners, lab technicians, library assistants and admin staff.
Tasmanian Greens MP Vica Bayley earlier said her party stands with workers striking over the Liberal Government’s failure to provide fair pay for school support staff, along with conditions to relieve teacher workload and decrease school violence.
“Schools wouldn’t run without support staff like teachers’ assistants, lab technicians, library assistants, cleaners and admin staff. They deserve to be paid the same as their mainland counterparts doing the same, valuable work,” Bayley said in a statement.
“Teachers’ workloads are unmanageable and violence in schools is only rising.
It’s leading to burnout, and much-needed teachers leaving the profession,” Bayley explained.
“It’s time to end chronic understaffing, and cut down on unnecessary after-school meetings and admin.
“Striking is a last resort for teachers. They don’t want to have to leave their classrooms or students as the school year nears its end, but the Liberal Government’s failure to provide them with the pay and conditions they deserve has forced their hand.”
Labor leader Josh Willie told The Mercury newspaper that short-changing school staff was shortsighted.
“My message to the Government is you need to be doing this in good faith – and an ultimatum is not good faith,” he said.
“We’re in a national labour market, and just this morning, I heard stories of teachers on the radio who have left because they’re getting greater incentives in other states, greater pay, and that’s what will happen here.
“We’ve got very good staff working in our schools, and they’re looking at mainland teachers doing the same job, getting far better rewards and support to do their job.”
Bayley said its past time for the Liberal Government to provide teachers and school support staff with “a deal for proper wages and conditions that match the important work they do to ensure Tasmania’s children have a safe and successful education that sets them up for a bright future”.
Education Minister Jo Palmer’s focus, she has claimed, has been on tackling teacher workload, improving staff wellbeing with new support teams, addressing school violence, and backing initiatives like the Lifting Literacy program, however she has weathered fierce union criticism for her lack of urgency to address pay and conditions.
ABC News has reported that department figures revealed during budget estimates hearings showed incidents of school violence had nearly tripled between 2022 and 2024, with one teacher saying attacks from students had left her concussed and requiring medical attention.
