SEVERAL GOTAFE Wangaratta teachers took part in a rolling stop-work rally on Tuesday morning over 'poor wages and conditions' such as unpaid overtime. As part of protected industrial action, teaching staff are rallying for a pay deal of seven per cent more and better working conditions, and they're asking the State Government to listen to what teachers and trainers are saying about fixing skills shortages in Victoria. The Australian Education Union (AEU) reported that from January, an experienced TAFE teacher will be paid $8899 or more than eight per cent less than a similarly experienced (secondary) school teacher, and right now the gap is $7742 or seven per cent. Wangaratta AUE representative Jody Tadic said the stop-work action was about pay rises, which they haven't had for two years, the shortage of trainers and potential loss of more, and the excessive workloads they're expected to carry out. "We're looking for a better pay deal and we're entitled to that because our counterpart teachers in secondary schools are getting more than what we do each year and we're entitled to that as well," Ms Tadic said. "It's hard for teachers to make ends meet and you've got people who are living from week to week and sometimes not even making it through the week. "Unfair conditions are also taking away from that home-life balance and teachers in our industry are having to work over their (paid) working hours to get the job done. "We are teachers and we teach skills and those skills are supplying our communities with shortages in those skills." Fellow teacher Dave Smalldon said in certain trade areas the student numbers are increasing dramatically and those trades are looking healthy and fantastic for the future. "However, the lecturers teaching them are hampered by the amount of admin and hours they have to do and the times they are working," he said. "They might be doing five days a week and it's quite difficult for them with no admin support and very little help from IT and other sources to encourage us to stay and work as hard as what we need to do." The teachers declined to comment on up to 70 job cuts proposed for GOTAFE campuses because the consultation period on this topic is still ongoing.
