Thursday, 29 August 2024

TAFE teachers

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:15): (649) My question is for the Minister for Skills and TAFE. Seventy-one per cent of TAFE teachers are considering quitting as a result of working excessive hours and unpaid overtime. As part of the enterprise bargaining negotiations, have TAFE teachers been asked to increase their workloads?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:15): Firstly, can I indicate our government’s support for TAFE teachers, the fantastic work that they do each and every day and the fact that they have been doing that for a long time. They have been completely onside with the government in terms of the reform agenda that we have embedded, creating a new TAFE and vocational education and training system in this state. Again, I thank them for their efforts on an ongoing basis. In terms of the negotiations, the negotiations are well advanced. There have been further discussions in the last week over several sessions, and I encourage those that are involved in that process to come up with the solutions that are required so that we can move on and get other changes and reforms put in place. There is a process in place, like any negotiations, and we are pleased to see that the parties are in discussions. Again, I hope to see fruitful solutions as a result of the process that is in place. I remind the house that it was those opposite that sacked over 2000 TAFE teachers, shut down 22 TAFE campuses in this state and –

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, the minister is debating the question. It was simply about whether TAFE teachers have been asked to increase their workloads. The minister has not gone near the question.

The PRESIDENT: The minister was being relevant to the question as far as negotiations go.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:17): Minister, after 10 years your Labor government has starved TAFE and not saved it. TAFE teachers are the lowest paid in the country and have taken stop-work action for the second time since June because of failed enterprise bargaining negotiations. What action is the government taking to settle its protracted pay dispute with TAFE teachers?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:17): Again, it just is gobsmacking that those opposite stand here and try to indicate that they are the saviours of the working class and indeed saviours of TAFE teachers. I mean, what an absolute joke. The fact of the matter is that the most recent data shows that Victoria’s own contribution to vocational education increased by 48 per cent between 2014 and 2022, and that joint expenditure is the second highest in the country. This is a government that has got a proud, demonstrated history of its commitment to the funding of the TAFE system, to the vocational education and training system. Industrial action and rallies often are a normal part of negotiations, and I respect TAFE teachers’ right to take industrial action. But again, I call on those that are at the table – the VTA and AEU – to come forward with a solution that is supported.