Gary's Speeches

Technical and Further Education: Teacher Salaries

Back to Speeches

The enterprise bargaining agreement negotiation process for TAFE teachers across Victoria is currently at a stalemate, and I call on the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation to act immediately. The minister must start treating our TAFE teachers with the respect and equity they deserve, in line with the negotiated outcomes achieved for our nurses, schoolteachers and police.

TAFE teachers last received a pay rise in September 2006, and their agreement expired in September 2007. Since that time the Brumby government has reached agreement with police, nurses and schoolteachers, whose agreements expired after the TAFE teachers agreement. Currently our TAFE teachers are the lowest paid in Australia. They receive $13 000 less than their counterparts in the school system here in Victoria.

TAFE teachers are worth at least the same as schoolteachers. In most cases TAFE teachers are men and women with many years of hands-on experience in the workforce as plumbers, electricians, motor mechanics and so on. These dedicated, hardworking teachers bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. They also become great mentors for their students based on their many years of involvement in the real world of industry and their willingness to share this valuable knowledge.
I call on the minister and the Premier to immediately resolve this inequity. Instead of constantly bragging about Victoria's TAFE system being the best in Australia, they should implement a pay structure that rewards those committed TAFE teachers who make it happen.