By Norrian Rundle
MELBOURNE — Secondary school teachers from the Victorian Secondary Teachers Association and the Federated Teachers Union of Victoria on February 10 took part in the first "illegal" 24-hour stop-work under the Kennett government's Industrial Relations Act.
Some 5000 teachers attended stop-work meetings in Melbourne and regional centres. These mass meetings endorsed motions calling for maintenance of 1992 working conditions, branch stop-works if these conditions are breached, work to rule and the banning of Coalition politicians from entering schools.
Other action motions unanimously supported a 24-hour stop-work on March 1 in line with the Victorian Trades Hall Council campaign and a doorknock of every parent in the state.
A move to a federal award was also supported, with some opposition, and support for the Australian Teachers Union's campaign to put the Coalition last in marginal seats was also passed.
The stop-work was called by a VSTA special general meeting in December. The motion called on the FTUV (which has a majority of primary members) to join the stop-work.
At the FTUV December council meeting, it was decided to let the branch delegates' meeting in January decide whether to support the action. In an amazing about-face, the FTUV leadership amended to support only the March 1 stoppage. Many delegates, especially those in secondary schools, were outraged, but the meeting supported the leadership.
The FTUV did grudgingly authorise its members in joint branches to take part in the stop-work, and many did so. Footscray City Secondary College FTUV branch took unauthorised action to support the stop-work.
At the Melbourne stop-work, one member in speaking to an amendment, condemned both union leaderships for their record of allowing conditions to be eroded under the Labor government and for their lack of will to run a united campaign against the latest cuts to education. The meeting clearly showed its support for this view by applauding loudly.
The two union leaderships have allowed historic differences and leadership squabbles to interfere with the joint campaign. As a
response to this and the massive cuts to schools in the western suburbs of Melbourne, union members in the Western Region have set a joint campaign committee which has been meeting since the end of last year.
The committee is building support in the branches for a strong campaign and is coordinating activities. It is this type of cooperation between the unions and between branches that is required to win any campaign that will maintain the conditions of teachers and the quality of state education in Victoria.