Thousands of South Australian public school teachers could walk off the job in a fortnight as the education union escalates industrial action over its new pay and conditions deal.
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00:00 The steps of State Parliament flooded by teachers and supporters four years ago.
00:06 A sight set to be repeated on September 1st if the Education Union and Government can't
00:11 find common ground on a pay and conditions deal.
00:14 That's the sort of showing that's necessary I think to sharpen the Government's mind to
00:19 the problem that we face as a profession and as a public education system in South Australia.
00:24 From tomorrow the Union will ballot members about holding a one day strike over its new
00:28 agreement.
00:29 Andrew Goal says measures in the current Government offer to mitigate ballooning teacher workloads
00:34 plus workforce attraction, retention and pay are among the sticking points.
00:39 What's on the table will see a continuation of the excessive workload and the poor levels
00:45 of support for students that have been experienced already.
00:48 The Government has offered a 3% pay rise each year over three years.
00:53 The AEU asked for 8.6% in the first year alone.
00:58 These are dramatic increases with less hours in front of students.
01:02 So we're disappointed.
01:03 We'd like them to come back to the negotiating table.
01:08 Teachers held multiple strikes under the former Liberal Government during its last round of
01:12 negotiations.
01:14 These sorts of actions are damaging to cultures within schools.
01:17 They tear school communities apart.
01:19 So I think that the Union is incumbent on the Union to do everything they can to avoid
01:23 that sort of industrial action.
01:24 But the Union claims John Gardner's successor as Minister, Blair Boyer, isn't the issue.
01:29 I don't think the problem rests with the Minister.
01:33 I think the problem rests with the Premier and the Treasurer.
01:36 Our Premier is passionate about education.
01:38 We're the Labor Party.
01:39 We believe education is our only silver bullet.
01:42 Parents won't know until the end of next week if the strike will happen.
01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]