QUEENSLAND INDEPENDENT EDUCATION UNION INDEPENDENT EDUCATION UNION OF AUSTRALIA – QUEENSLAND & NORTHERN TERRITORY BRANCH BRISBANE 346 TURBOT ST SPRING HILL QLD 4000 PO BOX 418 FORTITUDE VALLEY
Phone: 07 3839 7020 Fax: 07 3839 7021 Freecall: 1800 177937 Email: enquiries@qieu.asn.au Internet: www.qieu.asn.au ABN: 45 620 218 712
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Ref: ECE-CB1013js
Early Childhood Education All Employees
CHAPTER BRIEFING No. 13
Planning for 2012 Colleagues Community kindergartens are planning for the changes which must be implemented next year. As a part of that planning, a number of issues need to be considered. The IEUA- QNT is asking all members to identify if their community kindergarten is covered by a contemporary Enterprise Agreement. Please complete the ‘feedback’ form attached to this briefing to assist us in our representations on behalf of employees. Contemporary Agreement Employees and employers in community kindergartens will benefit from an up-to-date enterprise agreement made under the Fair Work Act. A stand alone Agreement which identifies the wages and conditions of employees is much more useful than a document which requires reference to two separate parts and, in addition, needs to be read in conjunction with two separate Awards. An agreement made a number of years ago can not adequately provide for the recent changes which have been forced on community kindergartens. A contemporary Agreement is the only way to protect existing wages and patterns of employment. Employees in community kindergartens must receive fair conditions Teachers in community kindergartens already (at 27.5 contact hours per week) suffer the largest workload of a teacher in an educational setting in Queensland. The limitation on contact hours does not belong to one individual teacher. That limitation belongs to every teacher in every community kindergarten. Any reduction in this standard can be utilised to attack the conditions of every kindergarten teacher in Queensland. For more than twenty years your union has ensured that wages in community kindergartens have benefited from the same percentage increases which apply to state school teachers. Kindergarten committees, and the state government, must continue to demonstrate the value of early childhood education by maintaining this comparability.
Improved funding for community kindergartens Your union has, for approximately two years, consistently and persistently argued for improved funding for community kindergartens. Along the way we have had some victories, such as the Government’s decision to retrospectively fund the 4.5% wage increase in 2009. However, the fundamental deficiency inherent in the Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme remains unaddressed. Generally, community kindergartens face a reduction in funding equal to $400 per child per year. The IEUA-QNT has written to the new Queensland Minister for Education raising these issues. We look forward to further constructive dialogue on behalf of community kindergartens. Teachers teach - the educational programme should be valued The fundamental work of a teacher is to teach children. Where the length of the educational programme is longer the work load of the teacher is larger. Recent advice from ACSEA that teachers should work extra contact hours and receive a lesser number of non-contact hours demonstrates a fundamental failure to understand the concept of education. ACSEA should act professionally We are aware that ACSEA has recently circulated correspondence which is critical of the ‘model’ Agreement provided by the IEUA-QNT. The criticism of the part time arrangements demonstrates an inability of that organisation to read the plain word on the page. The proposed Agreement provides both greater flexibility and greater protections for part time employees. Redundancy entitlements are legitimately included due to the imminent closure of some kindergartens. The commitment of kindergarten employees should not be devalued simply because most kindergartens are small employers. As for the existence of typographical errors, ACSEA again demonstrates its carelessness in handling the truth. That organisation has not brought these issues to the attention of the IEUA. Please identify where your kindergarten stands To assist your union in achieving an Agreement covering each kindergarten, we ask members to return the attached feedback sheet. It is a simple question: Is your kindergarten covered by an up to date Agreement. Your assistance is appreciated. Your union will soon be writing to all kindergarten committees identifying issues which, from our point of view, need to be addressed. The requested information will assist in correctly targeting that correspondence. Kind regards
John Spriggs Senior Industrial Officer
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FEEDBACK BRISBANE 346 TURBOT ST SPRING HILL QLD 4000 PO BOX 418 FORTITUDE VALLEY
Phone: 07 3839 7020 Fax: 07 3839 7021 Freecall: 1800 177937 Email: enquiries@qieu.asn.au Internet: www.qieu.asn.au ABN: 45 620 218 712
CHAPTER BRIEFING No. 13
Name:
…………………………………………………………………………………
Kindergarten:
…………………………………………………………………………….……
Our kindergarten is a party to an Agreement approved by Fair Work Australia which: facilitates the 15 hour educational programme; protects existing hours of work; and contains up to date wage rates. Yes ……………….
No ………………...
Our kindergarten has indicated it is prepared to negotiate a new Agreement. Yes ……………….
No ………………...
Do you have any other comments to share with your colleague education professionals? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
This information will be used in our process of ensuring that all community kindergartens receive the benefits of an up to date Agreement.
PLEASE RETURN TO THE IEUA-QNT/QIEU BY COB Friday, 17 June 2011 Fax: 07 3839 7021, or email: enquiries@qieu.asn.au, or Post to QIEU, Freepost 418, Fortitude Valley 4006