‘Complete joke’: teachers pencil in protracted pay war

As the election-year pay war turns ugly, teachers are digging into their own pockets for school supplies and working side gigs.

Unionized teachers, principals and other public school educators walked off the job in Victoria on Tuesday demanding better pay, while Tasmanian staff from the sector also went on strike.

All 1600 public schools in Victoria were open, but around 500 had severe disruptions; Classes were not in session and children were told to stay home if possible.

Police estimated that around 35,000 people turned up for the rally in Melbourne and marched towards the front steps of the Victorian parliament.

Victoria’s teachers union and the state Labor government are still at odds over a pay deal after a bid for an 18.5 per cent increase over four years was rejected.

The union wants a 35 percent increase over the same period, as well as measures to address work overload and ongoing staff shortages.

Members of the red-haired crowd carried homemade banners that featured a photo of Prime Minister Jacinta Allan in a silly hat, saying “Little Miss Underpaid”, “stop funding fraud” and “Allan government, remake and resend”.

Entry-level teachers in Victoria are paid $16,500 less than those in the best-paid Northern Territory nationwide.

Brogan, a primary school teacher on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula, said she and some colleagues who were single mothers worked during school holidays either for fun or to earn extra money.

Staff at his school were spending their own money on materials and resources for student classes because the budget was not enough to cover expenses.

“It could be shiny pens or scented pens or stamps or inks; they might all be sold out,” the first-year teacher, whose full name was not used because she was not authorized by her employer to speak publicly, told AAP.

“It may be a small amount when you buy it, but it adds up as the year goes on.”

Emma De Klerk, a teacher at Aitken Primary School in Melbourne’s north, said the aim of the strike went well beyond securing a fair pay rise.

“We are not here for ourselves, we are here to make sure our students get what they need and deserve,” he said.

Maddy Butler, who brought two primary school children to the rally, said the state government was not spending enough on education.

“If we want the best outcomes for our children, we must provide the best funding for our public schools and pay our teachers properly,” said the Vic Parents for Public Schools organizer.

The 24-hour teachers’ strike was Victoria’s first in more than 13 years and comes eight months before a state election.

The education union has warned that new strikes are on the horizon if the government does not “do the right thing”.

“We’ll be stopping work for a few days, for a few weeks, in different parts of the state,” Victoria branch president Justin Mullaly said.

“It’s a complete joke for the Prime Minister and the education minister to call Victoria the education state.”

Education Minister Ben Carroll said the government’s initial offer amounted to $2.6 billion in extra pay and that educators’ salaries would be increased by up to $11,000 immediately.

The government met with the union on Monday but did not present a revised proposal and is opposed to doubling the number of non-training days from five to 10.

“We did everything we could to avoid today,” Mr. Carroll told reporters.

Public schools in Tasmania’s north-west were also closed on Tuesday; This was the first of three days of teachers striking in parts of the state for improved pay and conditions.

The stoppage will move to the north of the state on Wednesday, then to the south, including Hobart, on Thursday.

Tasmanian educators have called for a 15.6 per cent pay increase over three years, alongside a separate 5.95 per cent increase to achieve pay parity with other jurisdictions.

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