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June 7th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda <!–
Thousands of Victorian state school teachers went on strike today, to protest against a 2.5 per cent pay offer from the state’s Government. About 150 schools were closed, while others ran on skeleton staff. They’ve accused the Government of breaking an election promise to make them the best paid teachers in the country.
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MATT PEACOCK: Thousands of Victorian state school teachers went on strike today over a pay dispute with the Baillieu Government.
The teachers have rejected an offer of a 2.5 per cent pay offer, accusing the Government of breaking an election promise to make them the best paid teachers in the country.
Liz Hobday reports.
LIZ HOBDAY: About 150 schools across Victoria were closed today, as teachers began their industrial campaign in earnest.
Thousands of teachers rallied at Melbourne Park.
There were the usual slogans.
(protesters chanting)
CHANTING: Hey, hey! Ho, ho! The Baillieu Government’s got to go. Hey, hey! Ho, ho!
LIZ HOBDAY: As well as the more unusual.
(protester rapping)
RAPPER: Baillieu, Baillieu he’s going to fail you. He’s the work premier in all of Australia. Political spin on his Liberal agenda … changing his mind it’s bound to offend ya.
LIZ HOBDAY: At the heart of the pay dispute is an election promise made by the Premier Ted Baillieu, that under a Coalition Government, Victorian teachers would be the best paid in the country.
Those at the rally today claimed he’d broken that promise.
PROTESTER 1: I am very angry it’s an insult to the work that teachers do. I think it runs against the grain of the enormous number of hours that we put into our work.
PROTESTER 2: Certainly treating us with contempt. It’s pathetic! We’ve been in negotiations for over 18 months and they haven’t come to the party.
PROTESTER 3: We I think that we’re professionals and all we’re asking for is for professionalism from the Government.
LIZ HOBDAY: Others said the Baillieu Government has left the education system under resourced.
PROTESTER: You’re left with an education system really that’s trying its hardest but you’re battling; you’re in schools with no heating and not air conditioning; you’re in schools that have programs that have to be cut because he’s taken away all that funding.
LIZ HOBDAY: The State Government has offered teachers a pay rise of 2.5 per cent, or more with productivity increases; a long way from the Australian Education Union’s ambit claim of a 30 per cent rise over three years.
The Government’s offer also includes bonuses for the best performing teachers, with the top 10 per cent of teachers paid 10 per cent more, the next 20 per cent an extra 6 per cent, and so on.
But many on strike today were against the idea of performance based pay.
TEACHER: It’s very divisive to talk about performance pay cuts, particularly when you’re dealing with children. They are not products; we’re not part of a corporate empire and I’m here to support my colleagues and really to get justice for the students.
TEACHER 2: There’s no research basis to performance pay and really what we’re trying to do in schools is work as teams to improve student outcomes. It’s not going to work with performance pay.
LIZ HOBDAY: The Victorian Government says its pay offer would make the best performing teachers the best paid in Australia, with exceptional teachers paid more than $100,000 a year.
The Premier Ted Baillieu says today’s strike is unfair.
TED BAILLIEU: I’m disappointed – I don’t think it’s necessary. I don’t think Victorians believe it’s necessary but this is what the union have chosen to do.
We make the point that this is a disruption to students, it’s a disruption to families, it’s a disruption to the education system.
LIZ HOBDAY: The Federal Government has not ruled out intervening in the pay dispute.
The Federal Workplace Relations Minister, Bill Shorten.
BILL SHORTEN: I may at some point have to become involved with the Baillieu Government and the teachers who are unable to resolve their differences; I hope they can.
And I don’t particularly want to take sides, because I may have to get involved in helping fix it if the Baillieu Government can’t.
LIZ HOBDAY: The Victorian Government has been here before. There have been bitter pay disputes with police as well as nurses since it came to power about 18 months ago.
The Australian Education Union voted today to continue strike action if there’s no progress in negotiations by the start of term three.
MATT PEACOCK: Liz Hobday reporting.
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