O'FARRELL ATTACKS BEGA & SOUTH COAST TAFE STAFF

MEDIA RELEASE:

Friday October 14, 2011 

O'FARRELL ATTACKS BEGA & SOUTH COAST TAFE STAFF

NEW BILL PLACES WAGES AND CONDITIONS AT RISK

TAFE staff on the NSW south coast face an uncertain future in light of the O'Farrell Government surprise and sudden refusal to guarantee their wages and conditions beyond the next 12 months, Penny Sharpe, Duty MLC for Bega and South Coast said today.

"The O'Farrell Government has snuck legislation into Parliament this week with no consultation that could see TAFE teachers across NSW – including dozens in Bega and South Coast – suffer major cuts to their wages and conditions," Ms Sharpe said.

"This is a bill that will affect about 10,000 TAFE teachers across NSW – but also 7,000 TAFE support staff such as librarians, gardeners and tech storepersons.

"The O'Farrell Government is refusing to guarantee entitlements beyond the next 12 months. This means TAFE staff have awoken to great uncertainty over their future salary, leave loading and overtime and penalty rates.

"The bill will also make it harder for TAFE staff to access other job opportunities within the NSW public service.

"This is just the latest example of Barry O'Farrell meddling with public sector work contracts without consultation and without a mandate – and it is already causing great alarm in Bega and South Coast judging by the influx of communication to my office.

"The Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli must guarantee no TAFE employee will have their employment conditions reduced – and that TAFE will remain a high-quality, accessible provider of vocational education and training in NSW.

"TAFE colleges are already struggling to recruit and retain qualified staff, so in the end it will be students who lose out as teachers exit the system.

"This reeks of short-sighted policy on the run from a Government which has form eroding the wages and conditions of workers on the frontline."

 [ENDS]