Government taken action to de-register SSTU

15/9/95

The State Government has taken action to de-register the State School Teachers' Union after yet another union rejection of an Industrial Commission peace proposal.

Education Minister Norman Moore said the union last night rejected a peace proposal from Chief Industrial Commissioner Bill Coleman to put the Government's new pay package to teachers for a democratic vote, because of fears that an independent Electoral Commission ballot would see the offer accepted.

The Government's latest offer of a 7.5 per cent pay increase on October 16, 1995, and a further 7.5 per cent on January 1, 1997, would see experienced classroom teachers being paid $45,500 - the highest rate in Australia.

Mr Moore said today that the Government would now also move directly to cease the automatic removal of union dues from teachers' salaries.

He said the community's patience with the SSTU executive had run out and the Government could no longer tolerate having the education of students held to ransom by the union's unreasonable behaviour.

The irresponsible action by a handful of union officials was effectively stopping WA teachers from becoming the best paid in Australia.

Chief Commissioner Coleman put the peace plan to the SSTU leadership after taking the unprecedented decision to talk directly with the union executive yesterday for nearly three hours.

As a gesture of good faith, the Government had agreed to suspend any further disciplinary action while the union considered the new pay proposal.

"Once again the union executive has shown that it has neither the desire nor the ability to make a decision to end this dispute and it has forfeited the right to represent our teachers," the Minister said.

"They have been stringing everyone along for five months, introducing new demands into discussions whenever an agreement appeared close, and this latest snub of the industrial umpire is the last straw."

De-registration means the SSTU would no longer have the legal right to represent teachers and would not have the protection of the industrial system.

Mr Moore said the Government would not tolerate any further action by the union executive which would damage students' education.

Media contact: Anabel Gomez 321 1444