New South Wales teachers are holding protests to push for higher wages.
Thousands of children from state schools will spend today at home, as the union fights for an annual pay rise above 2.5 per cent amid inflation surges across the country.
Members of the Teachers Federation rejected an 11th-hour bid from the government hinting at more pay and instead decided to go ahead with the strike.
President Angelo Gavrielatos said the situation has become “unsustainable”.
“More than 70 per cent of teachers are reporting that they’re considering options other than teaching,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
Yesterday, Labor slammed what it calls “hypocrisy” from Premier Dominic Perrottet, with the government’s top advisers becoming eligible for a major raise.
Unions across multiple essential workforces, including paramedics, nurses and teachers, have staged rolling strikes this year in a campaign against the state’s public sector wage cap, which limits annual pay rises to 2.5 per cent.
While under pressure over the cap, Mr Perrottet has repeatedly said he’s trying to “balance” the budget. The top wage on offer for the most senior ministerial staff has soared from $320,000 in 2020 to 354,000 last year as part of the creation of a new pay band, which puts their wage above that of almost the entire cabinet.
The Deputy Premier’s take-home packet tops out at $343,460, while senior ministers earn $326,541 and other ministers pocket $309,621.
In this backdrop, Unions across multiple essential workforces, including paramedics, nurses and teachers, have staged rolling strikes in a campaign against the state’s public sector wage cap, which limits annual pay rises to 2.5 per cent.
