Rann Backs Down

School strike off

Article from:

POLLY HAYNES and AAP

June 27, 2007 02:20pm

TOMORROW'S teachers' strike has been called off after the State Government ditched plans for a workers' compensation levy, admitting "we got it wrong".

Australian Education Union (AEU) state president Andrew Gohl said today the Government's about-face was "a massive victory for the AEU."

"This is not, however, the end of the matter," he said.

"While the government has pledged to abandon its entire WorkCover strategy and promised not to seek to recoup the costs through other avenues, there remain significant budget measures that will impact on schools.

"We are seeking immediate negotiations and have set a deadline to have these issues resolved by August 17 or we will reserve our right to reinstate industrial action."

The one per cent levy would have cost schools on average about $50,000 a year for four years.

Teachers from 600 preschools, primary and secondary schools were planning to strike for one hour at the end of the school day tomorrow to protest against the cuts, which were announced in the 2006-2007 State Budget.

Premier Mike Rann announced this morning the levy had been part of Government plans to improve school resources, but after listening to the concerns of teachers and parents, the Government had decided against it.

"It is still our belief that the way in which workers' compensation is run in our schools needs urgent reform, but we admit that our attempt at a solution would unreasonably impact on school communities," Mr Rann said.

“"We made a mistake on this and we are reversing it so no school will have to feel the pain of this WorkCover levy, we have killed it stone dead. We've listened."

“We’re saying we got it wrong, we got it wrong.

""We make mistakes, we are just the same as you (journalists) ... sometimes people in their lives make mistakes."

Opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said Mr Rann had again overruled Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith, showing it was time she was dumped from Cabinet.

Ms Lomax-Smith told parliament just last week that the decision to impose a WorkCover levy on schools was a “savings target” that would be “re-directed into education,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

“She also claimed the levy was part of a massive reform agenda in education,” he said.

“Poor old Jane – she’s out their defending her way of running education and then the Premier jumps over her and says they got it wrong.

“It’s time for the Minister to shuffle off to the backbench.”

Mr Hamilton-Smith said the back flip was another sign the budget strategy was unravelling at a rate of knots.