Catholic School Teachers Strike

Date: 29 March 2000

Industrial unrest in the NSW education system has escalated with teachers in NSW Catholic schools striking today for 24 hours.

More than 2,000 teachersfrom 500 Catholic schools attended a rally at the Masonic Centre today rejecting a two and a half per cent pay offer for 2000.

Teachers in Catholic and independent schools have their salaries tied to public sector pay rates which are currently deadlocked in pay talks with the govrnment.

"Teachers are also angry at attempts by some politicians and sections of the media to portray them as underworked and overpaid" General Secretary of the NSW Independent Education Union Dick Shearman says.

The union has taken out full page advertisements in both Sunday Newspapers (26 March) to publicly defend the teaching profession.

"The NSW Government and Catholic employing authorities should act positively for teachers now by substantially revising their salaries offer", Shearman says.

Today's rally foreshadowed further action and warned that unless the pay issue was resolved, the independent teachers would join forces with the Teachers Federation and take coordinated strike action.

For further information

Contact:	Peter Lewis
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://www.nswactieu.labor.net.au/

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