Hundreds of government schools will be affected by the latest round of teacher strikes as a pay dispute rages on. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Public school staff across Victoria will walk off the job today after a vote by the Australian Education Union's state branch yesterday. Teachers will down tools and also refuse to work unpaid overtime unless an eleventh-hour agreement can be struck with the state government.
It comes after the powerful teacher's union in June knocked back the Labor government's offer of a 28% pay rise over four years. Branch president Justin Mullaly said teachers, faced with untenable workloads and uncompetitive pay, had been left with no choice.
"In this underfunded system, teachers, principals, and education support staff are working an average of 12 hours unpaid overtime every week," he said. "The government must stop relying on the goodwill of school employees as a core part of their funding model for schools."
Meanwhile, Australia's top 100 CEOs received a 16% pay rise, outpacing wage growth for workers. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) reported this. ACTU president Michele O'Neil criticised the inequality, saying "CEO pay is growing six times faster than workers' pay."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not comment on the issue but said the government is working to raise the minimum wage and protect workers' rights. However, opposition leader Peter Dutton criticised the government for failing to control inflation.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, Australia's industry minister Ed Husic warned the Labor Party over its Gaza policy. Husic said the party must reconsider its stance on Palestine, otherwise it could damage the party's reputation. He said, "We must support human rights and international law."
These events highlight socio-economic tensions in Australia, where negotiations between workers and the government continue.