It’s war over school staff pay

The Public Service Association, which represents School Administrative and Support Staff in 2,250 public schools throughout NSW, is furious at the Government’s and the Department’s treachery over school staff pay.

After a drawn-out four year review the Department agreed that school support staff were worth a lot more money. Yesterday the Minister for Education, Andrew Refshauge, told the union that school staff would not be paid what they are worth and would not get anything extra.

"In an extraordinary abrogation of Ministerial responsibility Refshauge said the PSA should lobby Treasury for the money required. The Deputy Premier and the state's biggest Department are not prepared to tell the Treasurer and Treasury that they need money to pay staff what they are worth. If the Deputy Premier and the senior bureaucrats cannot do that then they are not doing their job and should resign," said Sue Walsh, President of the PSA.

The Department's review says the current classifications should all get significant pay increases. School Assistants should be increased from $28,894 p.a. to $34,387 p.a. At the other end of the scale, the top of the range Senior School Assistants should be increased from $36,036 to $62, 731. (Very few of the Seniors are or would be on the top rate.)

The PSA, to make it easier for the Department to find the money, suggested a 2-step phase in.

Delegates representing the School Administrative and Support Staff met last night and recommended strong industrial actions to get their due - work to rule, bans, strikes are all under consideration.

"The delegates are totally outraged, angry and disgusted at the total failure to recognise the value of School Assistants and Senior School Assistants. And members generally will be just as angry when they are informed later today," said Sue Walsh, President of the PSA and also a Senior School Assistant.

"Adding to members' ire is the knowledge that 99 percent of school support staff are female. This is another slap in the face for underpaid women," said Ms Walsh.

"The PSA entered into negotiations at the Department's request to address the enormous work overload and the work value issues," she said. "It is reasonable that members expect the Department to deliver on its findings."

"Instead, the Deputy Premier is not game to ask Treasury for the money. He is prepared to sit on his hands as Treasury squeezes schools and TAFE, as they have done to public transport and hospitals.

"It's about time that the Deputy Premier decided to be a Labor Deputy Premier. That is, one who is prepared to really stand up for public services, public schools and public employees. The Deputy Premier should forget the empty words of public relations exercises, such as last week's statement on promotion of public schools, and show some real support for public education and employee justice," said Ms Walsh.