Vic: Victorian teachers seek NSW payrise

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2003
Vic: Victorian teachers seek NSW payrise

MELBOURNE, Dec 21 AAP - Victorian teachers want a large pay rise following a 5.5 per
cent interim increase recently granted to NSW counterparts, arguing theirs is an even
greater need.

NSW teachers were granted the pay rise on Friday and a larger increase was expected
when the state's Industrial Relations Commission made its final recommendation, NSW teachers'
union president Maree O'Halloran said.

The commission accepted the argument there had been an increase in workload due to
teacher shortages and a decline in their wage in relation to other professionals.

The Victorian government should therefore revise its offer of 2.5 per cent, state president
of the Australian Education Union, Mary Bluett, said tonight.

"In the context of the national teacher shortage, Victoria faces a mass exit of teachers
across the broder where salaries for experienced teachers are now 11.5 per cent higher
than in Victoria," she said.

"The Victorian government's offer of 2.5 per cent is nowhere near the market rate for teachers."

AAP ag/sjb/br

KEYWORD: TEACHERS VIC

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