1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Teachers are going on strike today and Matt Jarmand, the 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: president of the State school Teachers' Union, is joining us. 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 2: Good morning, that welcome, good morning. 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: I feel like we feel like I should be saying 5 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: good morning, mister job. 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 3: I haven't heard that for a few years, a couple 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 3: of years. 8 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: I haven't said it for a few years, a few years. 9 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: So tell us some why this is the first strike. 10 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: I it's kind in a decade actually primary and secondary 11 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: I'm assuming. 12 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, all public schools across all of Western Australia. 13 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: Okay, And tell us why, Well. 14 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 3: We've had workplace bands in place since the beginning of 15 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 3: the year, really in the department, and obviously the government 16 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 3: haven't taken those negotiations, all those bands seriously, and unfortunately 17 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 3: we now find in ourselves in a place where we 18 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 3: have to escalate that to get their attention. And that's 19 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 3: why we're doing today. And I can assure you and 20 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 3: your listeners that it doesn't come easy making a decision 21 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 3: for a sockwork action today. But I think, yeah, I 22 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 3: think by a large and understand while we're at this 23 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 3: point and how we got here. 24 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 2: Yeah, Matt, I just want to talk about the timing, mate, 25 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 2: so early in the second term for the year and 26 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 2: ANZAC week as well. Is it just the time it 27 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: had to happen? 28 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 3: Now it did because it's an eleven week term. We 29 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 3: wanted to get in this and get this deal done 30 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 3: as fast as we can so the whole school year 31 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 3: can move on. Last week was filled with school development days, 32 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 3: so we would have had all sorts of other interruptions 33 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 3: last week. So yeah, really, this day it picked itself. 34 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: I've always been a big advocate for teachers, Matt, because 35 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: we're talking about the people who are in charge of 36 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: the people who will be looking after me in my 37 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: old age. That's the way I look at it. It 38 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: is a half day, isn't it not a full day? 39 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: How does that affect the students? 40 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 3: Our students will have parents? I should really say, we'll 41 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 3: have a difficult choice today because it's going to be 42 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 3: an interruption depending on what school you're at. There are 43 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 3: twenty regional locations who are also holding stop work meetings, 44 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 3: not just here in Perth, so it is affecting all 45 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 3: types of different kinds of schools in the system. And 46 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 3: unfortunately the disruption has been caused by not a breakdown 47 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 3: in negotiations but certainly negotiations that were stalling with a 48 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 3: second offer that just was far from good enough to 49 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 3: present to our members. 50 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 2: It's fairly generic question, Matt, But to be honest, because 51 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: I haven't heard great things how our teacher's going. Yeah, 52 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: I'm talking about mental health. I'm talking about health and 53 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: well being. 54 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 3: Well, We've been trying to get the attention of government 55 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 3: for years, Claricy. We didn't really need to go to 56 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 3: doctor Carmen Lawrence and have facing the facts independently reviewed 57 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 3: and written, but we needed to get the government's attention. 58 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 3: They simply hadn't been listening to what we were seeing 59 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 3: as a decline in public education across the whole state. 60 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 3: So today really is trying to get the government to 61 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 3: hear and to listen to what members have to say, 62 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 3: because as Lisa just sort of alluded to, it's not 63 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: easy in the public education game at the moment, and 64 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 3: we're trying to do our best for a better future 65 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 3: and most certainly better outcomes for kids, and we need 66 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 3: better resourcing, We need a whole range of things. It's 67 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 3: not just one thing that members are going to go 68 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 3: out today and take stoplic action for. 69 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: Well and you know in that big picture scheme of things. Again, 70 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: you've got to pay people the right amount to attract 71 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: the right people to the industry, don't you. And it's 72 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: actually not a big difference, is it that you would 73 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: like to see the teachers get compared to what the 74 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: government is offering. 75 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 3: It certainly isn't. And from the first to the second offer, 76 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 3: they only offered us an increase of zero point two 77 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 3: five percent over three years. We are for twelve percent 78 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 3: over two. They've given us eleven over three. But look, 79 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 3: the premier recognizes that if you want quality people, you 80 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 3: have to pay them, and you did that in supporting 81 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 3: the eight percent for the most well paid public servants 82 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 3: in the States. So our teachers and our school leaders 83 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 3: and school psychologists, they quite rightly expect something similar. 84 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, the bit that I'm reading here from this article 85 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 2: the Matts, it's quite descriptive, dramatic. At least four thousand 86 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 2: members will walk out of classrooms and flood streets across wway. 87 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 2: Is There's going to be some placards out and about 88 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 2: and some legs on the street. 89 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 3: Oh, look, I know teachers all right, signs. I'm sure 90 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 3: that they'll be very creative in their slogan, so I 91 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 3: look forward to reading them. I'm not sure about flooding. 92 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 3: We've got a very controlled event here in Perth going 93 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 3: across the magnificent Matagarrett Bridge to Gloucester Park at nine 94 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 3: to ten o'clock, so we don't aim to flood and 95 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 3: we certainly don't aim to cause any more disruption to 96 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 3: the city. 97 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, but at least those signs will be dramatically correct. 98 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 3: I hope something. 99 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 2: Can correct with your big red plan. Take a rip man. 100 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 3: There are actually there are actually prizes for quality posters, 101 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 3: so I'm sure they put an effort. 102 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 2: In, Matt. 103 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: What are the consequences if teacher numbers continue to decline? 104 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, we are faced with an international crisis in 105 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 3: teachers supply. The problem that we've got here in Western 106 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 3: Australia though, is that in twenty seventeen we had the 107 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 3: highest paid teachers in the country and we've now slipped 108 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 3: to the middle of those rankings. So they're not leaving 109 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 3: because of the international teacher problems. They're leaving because of 110 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 3: the workload and the red tape. So we want a 111 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 3: media address of some of those issues that we continue 112 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 3: to bang on about, and hopefully today those issues will 113 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 3: be given greater credits with the government. 114 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 2: At least it did raise the half day thing, so 115 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 2: teachers literally will put the blackcards down and head back 116 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 2: to work asper normal after lunches. 117 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 3: That right, Metropolitan teachers had to be back on site 118 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 3: ready to go by twelve thirty, and depending on where 119 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 3: you are in the regions, it's eleven thirty. 120 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: All right, okay, Matt, well, thank you for your time. 121 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 2: A few things up. Thanks man, good, thank you. It's 122 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 2: all the best of today. A tough game. 123 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: It can be a thankless job, and I'm really it 124 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: is big picture. It is a very important job. You've 125 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: got to get the right people. To get the right people, 126 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 1: you've got to present an attractive back in and 127 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: If you've got to if you've got a union and 128 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: you're part of it, and you you believe that the 129 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 2: offer from the government is not enough, and you're going 130 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: do what you're doing today, it's likely that Matt said 131 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 2: it's not wasn't an easy choice.