Mr ADAMSON - 1996-05-15
Why have the negotiations with the Australian Education Union come to a standstill?
Page 1348
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, a significant factor in the breakdown of negotiations is that the tactics and stance of the union probably reflect the same belligerent attitude as that shown by members opposite. It is that bullying, don't-stop-and-listen, don't-give-way-one-millimetre attitude that leads to situations like the one that we have now.
Ms Martin: That is what you are doing.
Mr FINCH: You may think that. Despite the absolute nonsense in the 13-part claim I received yesterday from the union, I have agreed to meet with its representatives yet again today. I have sought from the union some indication as to what items on the list are possibly negotiable, as opposed to being absolutely non-negotiable. I have agreed to have a meeting without any great expectation of success, because we have had 13 months of meetings. We are achieving nothing more than the same slinging-off, through the media, about why the Commissioner for Public Employment is on holiday. Is he supposed to wait another 13 months before he takes his break?
When we go through the logic of it all, it is apparent why there has been no resolution. The clear picture of teachers' salaries has not been put to the teaching fraternity here. We continue to hear nonsense about WA teachers receiving 15%, and a 15% increase nationally. In addition, we are told of other conditions including the release time in classes. However, when everything is put together - the extra 6 weeks leave, the pupil-free days, the 2 hours a day that is paid for now, the 1 hours extra that has been put forward as part of the package - it is apparent that, on every item, including even the separate enterprise agreement, the government has given ground.
Members opposite cannot name one item that has been acted on by the union. It has been demonstrated clearly here that this is part of a national push and is really out of the hands of the local membership. In addition, when asked on radio last Tuesday if it was time to bring the dispute to a head, the union president, Chris Sharpe, responded by saying: 'Oh, no. We have always seen that this has the potential to be a long-term dispute'. He referred to Western Australia by saying: 'That dispute was eventually resolved at the end of that 12 months'. He went on to say: 'So I guess we've got a bit of a model to work to'.
We are seeing now, and we have heard already, what is happening nationally. In South Australia, half the schools are closed. The Territory will simply not allow itself to be subjected to guerilla tactics and random stop-work meetings although, interestingly enough, another 2 will take place in Nhulunbuy on Thursday. The member for Nhulunbuy has obviously done his homework.
Mr Stirling: You wouldn't know. When did you last visit a Nhulunbuy school?
Mr FINCH: Not that long ago, actually.
Ms Martin: Fred, why don't you try a separate EBA tomorrow?
Page 1349
Mr FINCH: Let me take up your interjection. Do you think that, if we accepted a separate EBA, those other matters would be resolved? Or do you think that instead, they would want still perhaps to hold out for the 15%? We have these 2 major sticking points, a separate EBA and the 15%. We asked the 2 union officials whether they would accept one and give away the other. They replied that they could not do that.
Mr Bailey: What did you offer them?
Mr FINCH: We will see if we can make some mileage this afternoon. While you have Mark Crossin, who misrepresented what the Chief Minister said at the end of that meeting ...
Ms Martin: Make the offer publicly this afternoon, and see what happens.
Mr Stone: Calm down! It is your kids ...
Ms Martin: I am concerned about the kids in the Territory.
Mr FINCH: You should be really concerned ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much cross-Chamber discussion.
Mr FINCH: There is no will on the part of the union to resolve this matter. I will finish on this, as it demonstrates my point. About 2 and a half weeks ago, those same 2 union officials told me they were willing to find a solution and to compromise. They said there were 3 remaining issues, other than the separate EBA, that they wanted resolved. The first was bush school conditions, the second was the normalisation of relations, and the third was back-payment of the 3%. The government replied yes to all 3 - subject, obviously, to there being no strikes.
Were any of those lunchtime meetings that were permitted in that following week, with communication facilities accessible to the union, used to deliver the government's positive response to the membership? Were any of those 3 matters, to which the government had said yes, delivered to the members at the conference last weekend, or at the meeting on Wednesday afternoon? The answer is no. The supposed meetings now take the form of rolling strikes. They are nothing less than that. They are not about delivering messages. They never have been. We have had a pretty torrid time as far as I can see.
Page 1350
Page 1348
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, a significant factor in the breakdown of negotiations is that the tactics and stance of the union probably reflect the same belligerent attitude as that shown by members opposite. It is that bullying, don't-stop-and-listen, don't-give-way-one-millimetre attitude that leads to situations like the one that we have now.
Ms Martin: That is what you are doing.
Mr FINCH: You may think that. Despite the absolute nonsense in the 13-part claim I received yesterday from the union, I have agreed to meet with its representatives yet again today. I have sought from the union some indication as to what items on the list are possibly negotiable, as opposed to being absolutely non-negotiable. I have agreed to have a meeting without any great expectation of success, because we have had 13 months of meetings. We are achieving nothing more than the same slinging-off, through the media, about why the Commissioner for Public Employment is on holiday. Is he supposed to wait another 13 months before he takes his break?
When we go through the logic of it all, it is apparent why there has been no resolution. The clear picture of teachers' salaries has not been put to the teaching fraternity here. We continue to hear nonsense about WA teachers receiving 15%, and a 15% increase nationally. In addition, we are told of other conditions including the release time in classes. However, when everything is put together - the extra 6 weeks leave, the pupil-free days, the 2 hours a day that is paid for now, the 1 hours extra that has been put forward as part of the package - it is apparent that, on every item, including even the separate enterprise agreement, the government has given ground.
Members opposite cannot name one item that has been acted on by the union. It has been demonstrated clearly here that this is part of a national push and is really out of the hands of the local membership. In addition, when asked on radio last Tuesday if it was time to bring the dispute to a head, the union president, Chris Sharpe, responded by saying: 'Oh, no. We have always seen that this has the potential to be a long-term dispute'. He referred to Western Australia by saying: 'That dispute was eventually resolved at the end of that 12 months'. He went on to say: 'So I guess we've got a bit of a model to work to'.
We are seeing now, and we have heard already, what is happening nationally. In South Australia, half the schools are closed. The Territory will simply not allow itself to be subjected to guerilla tactics and random stop-work meetings although, interestingly enough, another 2 will take place in Nhulunbuy on Thursday. The member for Nhulunbuy has obviously done his homework.
Mr Stirling: You wouldn't know. When did you last visit a Nhulunbuy school?
Mr FINCH: Not that long ago, actually.
Ms Martin: Fred, why don't you try a separate EBA tomorrow?
Page 1349
Mr FINCH: Let me take up your interjection. Do you think that, if we accepted a separate EBA, those other matters would be resolved? Or do you think that instead, they would want still perhaps to hold out for the 15%? We have these 2 major sticking points, a separate EBA and the 15%. We asked the 2 union officials whether they would accept one and give away the other. They replied that they could not do that.
Mr Bailey: What did you offer them?
Mr FINCH: We will see if we can make some mileage this afternoon. While you have Mark Crossin, who misrepresented what the Chief Minister said at the end of that meeting ...
Ms Martin: Make the offer publicly this afternoon, and see what happens.
Mr Stone: Calm down! It is your kids ...
Ms Martin: I am concerned about the kids in the Territory.
Mr FINCH: You should be really concerned ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much cross-Chamber discussion.
Mr FINCH: There is no will on the part of the union to resolve this matter. I will finish on this, as it demonstrates my point. About 2 and a half weeks ago, those same 2 union officials told me they were willing to find a solution and to compromise. They said there were 3 remaining issues, other than the separate EBA, that they wanted resolved. The first was bush school conditions, the second was the normalisation of relations, and the third was back-payment of the 3%. The government replied yes to all 3 - subject, obviously, to there being no strikes.
Were any of those lunchtime meetings that were permitted in that following week, with communication facilities accessible to the union, used to deliver the government's positive response to the membership? Were any of those 3 matters, to which the government had said yes, delivered to the members at the conference last weekend, or at the meeting on Wednesday afternoon? The answer is no. The supposed meetings now take the form of rolling strikes. They are nothing less than that. They are not about delivering messages. They never have been. We have had a pretty torrid time as far as I can see.
Page 1350
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016