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
Thursday, 23 February 2012
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Quality Schools – Professional Rates of Pay
PMSA CHAPTER BRIEFING No. 38
Employer Fails to Deliver Accomplished Teacher Fair Work Assistance Required Again Dear Colleagues It is with disappointment that I write to inform you that your employer has, yet again, failed to deliver on its commitment to have an Accomplished Teacher Classification approved and ready to receive application from eligible employees as of 22 February 2012. Fair Work Assistance Required Fair Work assistance has been requested on the basis that the employer has failed to honour its commitment in the Enterprise Agreement to identify an appropriate Accomplished Teacher Schedule, notwithstanding the actions of employees in calling upon the employer to commit to the establishment of that Schedule. Your Union met with employer representatives on 13 December, 2011 to confirm employee feedback that the employer tabled paper “Lead Teacher” was in fact an appropriate response to the National Professional Teacher Standards – Lead Teacher. At the same meeting employee representatives, having previously examined the provisions of the Professional Teacher Standards – Highly Accomplished Teacher, tabled a document to the employer representatives for their consideration and acceptance as being more consistent with these standards than the employer table document “Lead Teacher”. With no response forthcoming in the early weeks of Term 1 2012, your Union wrote to the PMSA on 10 February 2012 pointing out that an elaborated employee position had been tabled to them 13 December 2011 and requesting acceptance of this document for immediate implementation or a valid critique of any perceived deficiencies by 17 February 2012. As of 22 February 2012 no response has been received and as a consequence your Union has requested the assistance of Fair Work Australia to finalise this outstanding matter from the 2011 Enterprise Agreement negotiations. Next Steps Chapters have previously endorsed the intervention of Fair Work Australia in this matter and with the date for implementation of The Accomplished Teacher classification almost 11 months late, action from the PMSA is now long overdue.
Eligible employees will be reflecting on the $6000 which currently is not being paid to teachers who would have been successful in achieving accomplished status and wonder if this tardy response from the PMSA can be justified when school fee increases have been predicated on allowances in the Enterprise Agreement being paid on the schedule date of the 1 April 2011. Once a hearing has been scheduled and an outcome reached a further Briefing will be distributed. As an interim step Chapters are requested to consider and endorse the motions on the attached Fax Back, provide a copy to your principal and return the Fax Back to cseymour@qieu.asn.au no later than Thursday, 1 March 2012. Latest Development After receiving notification from Fair Work Australia, the Employer has contacted your Union today to request further discussion on the Accomplished Teacher model. They also claim they did not receive our emailed correspondence of 10 February. Notwithstanding whether they got the correspondence or not, this is now a matter twelve months old and a matter on which the employer has yet to act. Employee representatives have indicated to the employer ahead of the FWA conference that, without a clear agenda and a shared understanding of the matters to be discussed, little progress can be anticipated. To enable positive and informed discussion, your Union has requested the Employer: 1.
Indicate that the contents of the employee document Highly Accomplished Teacher tabled to the PMSA on 13 December 2011 is broadly acceptable and discussion would need to focus on items of clarification or amendment; or
2.
Indicate which aspects of the document Highly Accomplished Teacher are problematic to the employer and detail the changes requested.
The response from the PMSA to the above items is requested by Friday, 2 March 2012 and, subject to receiving the written response from the Employer by the due date, a meeting to discuss the written response would be scheduled for the week beginning 5 March 2012. The application to Fair Work Australia will continue with a request to schedule a hearing date after 5 March if no written response is received from the PMSA or if, after receiving a response, little chance of resolution is evident. Chapter Action Chapters are requested to circulate this Briefing and consider the motions contained therein by the faxback date. Once a response from the PMSA is received a further Briefing will be sent to Schools. Kind regards
CHRIS SEYMOUR OFFICER SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES IN PMSA SCHOOLS
QUEENSLAND INDEPENDENT EDUCATION UNION INDEPENDENT EDUCATION UNION OF AUSTRALIA – QUEENSLAND & NORTHERN TERRITORY BRANCH
PMSA SECTOR CHAPTER FAX BACK Chapter Briefing No: 38
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Chapter Motions 1. The Chapter at ____________________________________ condemn the PMSA for their inaction which has, yet again, created a need to involve Fair Work Australia in a process to require the employer to honour its commitment under the Collective Agreement.
CARRIED / NOT CARRIED
2. The Chapter at
_______________________________ School/College again calls upon
the employer to confirm transitional arrangements which will see all teachers who would have been eligible for the Highly Accomplished Teacher Classification on 1 April, 2011 to be back paid to that date upon confirmation of their Highly Accomplished Teacher status.
CARRIED / NOT CARRIED
PLEASE FAX BACK TO CHRIS SEYMOUR ON FAX NUMBER (07) 3839 7021 or email cseymour@qieu.asn.au
BY 5:00PM on Thursday, 1 March 2012