Teachers Dispute

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills. Can the minister advise the house whether there will be a teachers strike on 9 November, the fourth day of year 12 exams?

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills) (15:00): I thank the member for Morialta for his question. Of course, my answer is that I very much hope not. I have said from the outset as we have entered into this enterprise bargaining process with the Australian Education Union that I didn't think there was any need for industrial action at any stage. We had a strike in term 3. Since that strike date, the government provided another offer—that is, two offers that we have formally put to the union now, the second one larger than the first, and I think the first would have been a record sum total, if you like, of about $1.3 billion across the life of the agreement.

I have also said on every occasion that I have been asked, which is very regularly, that the negotiations have been taking place in good faith. They have been positive. Despite what might be reported or focused on by the general public, a lot of the work behind the scenes to agree on clauses around things that are of great importance to our teachers have got closer and closer, and a lot of those are resolved, but of course we are now at the pointy end, you might say, and focusing on salary.

Both the Premier and myself, and the Treasurer as well, have made it clear on the number of occasions when asked about what the union is putting forward as its position, which is a salary increase of 8.4 per cent in the first year of a new agreement, that it is just not something that is possible in terms of what the state budget can afford.

I have been, I think, very frank from day one in this role. In fact, in the first week of being the Minister for Education I said publicly that I acknowledge that classrooms have become more complex places over the last probably few decades. Workload has increased. There is a need to pay our teaching workforce more to bring us up that league table in terms of where they sit compared to other teachers around the nation. We need to deliver a workload reduction, of course, because we have an issue in terms of retaining the existing workforce. That issue is not specific to South Australia; it is a national issue that we face. Being able to retain that workforce and attract the next generation of teachers are issues that are now central to the EB that we are negotiating.

My specific answer to the member for Morialta about whether there is going to be a strike again, and as the member for Morialta correctly identified, during year 12 exams, I certainly say there is no need for that. I do not think it will further the union's case. I am sure I speak on behalf of other members of this place that it would be unfortunate to have a strike at a time which is so critical not just for those South Australian students who are undertaking year 12 exams but of course also for their families, because it is a very stressful time for them as well.

Putting all those things aside, I reiterate to this place that negotiations have remained positive. Both parties have remained at the table from start to finish, and I am confident that we can actually come to agreement and deliver that pay increase to our staff, deliver that workload reduction to our staff, so that we acknowledge the work that they do, the importance of their work to our society, so that we can retain the existing workforce and send a really positive message to young South Australians who might be thinking about a future in teaching that it is something that we value and that we prioritise.