
Issue No 24		30 July 1999

News

Boston Fiddles While Teachers Burn

Teachers have accused the head of the Education Department of launching personal attacks on critics while ignoring physical assaults on school staff.

NSW Teachers Federation president Sue Simpson says staff at Westport Technology High School in Port Macquarie have been forced to hold two stopwork meetings because of the Department's failure to meet its obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and provide a safe working environment for staff and students at the school.

"While the Director General is busy attacking a prominent supporter of public education, Ms Bev Baker, President of the P&C Federation his department and officers are refusing to assist teachers who are being assaulted in schools," Simpson says.

Teachers and students at the school have suffered a series of violent incidents over the past three years which have resulted in a number of staff members seeking medical attention.

One staff member is currently in the process of a medical retirement because of post-traumatic stress as a result of assaults and another is on extended sick leave.

The District Superintendent has declined a request to meet with the staff to discuss these issues and in a memo to Principals 96/132 the Director General Ken Boston said:

"The Department as employer and the Police Service as the Law Enforcement Agency will provide legal support and representation to take out apprehended violence orders against any individuals, including students, who threaten our staff or students in the work place".

But Simpson says a teacher who sought advice from the Department about an AVO against a student was given no support.

The Federation has notified the Industrial Relations Commission of a dispute which was being heard at press time.

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  Issue 24 contents

Interview: The Man in the Hot Seat
WorkCover general manger John Grayson cut his teeth in the trade union movement. Now he�s trying to save the state�s workers compensation scheme.

Unions: Turning Up The Heat: Bush Fire Officers Seek Award Justice
"We want an award for the job that we do, not the job other people want us to do". Donald Bushby, and his fellow Fire Control Officers, know what they want. It's simple: an award for FCO's and deputy FCO's, an award that recognises who they are, the job they do, the pressures they have to live with.

International: The Virtual Labour Congress
International trade unions are launching an online debate on Labour in the 21th century.

Legal: The Source of the Issue
Recent legal developments place the spotlight on the outsourcing of government activities.

Review: The Split that Changed a Nation
A new book looks at the Cold War ALP split that redefined politics in this country.

Labour Review: What's New at the Information Centre
Read the latest issue of Labour Review, Labor Council's resource for unionists.

Satire: Man Takes Home Pay - More Pokies Needed
The NSW government has expressed concern following the release of a second report by the Productivity Commission which shows that a majority of employed people still spend their pay on luxury items such as food and clothing for their family.

» Sixty Cents A Week to Protect Entitlements

» Workers Comp � The Rorts Have to Stop

» Steggles Roasted Over Family-Busting Policies

» Youth Worker Death Prompts Safety Fears

» Rail Security Guards Miss Danger Spots

» New South Coast Labor Body Seeks Recognition

» Howard Ministers, Employment Advocate in the Dock

» Management Vandals Take to Sydney Water

» Boston Fiddles While Teachers Burn

» Lundy to Star in Workers Online Net Night

» STOP PRESS - Firefighters Seek End To Safety Apartheid