Fourteen Tasmanian government schools to close for a day due to staff industrial action

Fourteen Tasmanian public schools will close their doors on Wednesday as a result of industrial action by kitchen workers, cleaners and grounds staff.

About 800 educational facility attendants across the state will walk off the job to protest increasing workloads, and call for the government to urgently increase resource funding in November’s state budget.

United Worker’s Union (UWU) secretary Amy Brumby said funding had not increased for 28 years.

She said workers had no option but to walk off the job for the day, after multiple bargaining meetings with the state government yielded few results.

“Schools are very different now than what they were in 1997 when the workload allocation was done,” Ms Brumby said.

“Their workload has increased dramatically but their additional hours and their resources have not kept up with that.

“We’re asking for additional resources for our cleaners and kitchen assistants, who are overworked and sometimes actually work for free to get the job done.”

Union secretary Amy Brumby appealed to parents to direct their disappointment at the disruption to the premier and not at the staff walking off. (Unsplash: Taylor Flowe)

The workers will attend rallies at Parliament House in Hobart, and outside Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s office in Devonport.

Ms Brumby said she understood the school closures were an inconvenience for families, but hoped blame would not fall to the workers.

“They are at breaking point. These are the workers that keep our schools clean and safe for students and staff, so we ask for a little bit of understanding,” she said.

“I think if parents are frustrated then they should direct that at the premier.”

A Department for Education, Children and Young People spokesperson said in a statement that it was not formally advised of the action and had not received prior notice.

“To ensure we meet obligations under the Education Act 2016, and to ensure the health and safety of our children, young people and staff, a decision has been made to temporarily close some schools for the school day,” the spokesperson said.

“The Department values the role education facility attendants play in our schools and urges the UWU to meet with the secretary and resume discussions.”

The school closures include both primary and high schools. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)

Education minister ‘disappointed’

Education Minister Jo Palmer said she was disappointed the industrial action was happening at “such short notice that it is causing several schools to unexpectedly close”.

“The Department has offered to meet with the UWU as soon as possible,” she said.

“I encourage the UWU and the department to continue negotiations in good faith to avoid shutting down schools, disrupting families and preventing children from learning.”

Jo Palmer wants communication to continue between the union and the Department for Education, Children and Young People. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)

Ms Brumby said the educational facility attendants would continue to fight for better conditions, and said their importance had been demonstrated by the fact that some schools could not operate while the industrial action was taking place.

“They are at breaking point, but I think this is just the start for them,” she said.Loading…

“They are frustrated, they are tired, they’re overworked and they want their employer to listen to them. So while this is the start, it certainly will not be the end.”

Labor leader Josh Willie, who asked the government about the stalled industrial negotiations last week in parliament, said educational facility attendants deserved fair resourcing.

“These stalled employment negotiations are emblematic of a government that’s not able to invest properly in essential services and the hard working people who provide them,” he said.