Strategies put in place to facilitate domestic marking (childcare arrangements et al) were sent into disarray due to the stoppages. Further concerns were raised in relation to the slow rate of scripts becoming available for marking.
Frustration was the key theme of calls and emails to the Union. The Union advised members to keep accurate records of delays experienced.
The IEU has had discussion with senior officers of BOSTES to discuss the experiences of markers and to achieve preliminary understandings of how to recompense members whose work was interrupted.
The IEU will schedule further meetings with BOSTES to ensure markers are not disadvantaged. An understanding has already been reached with BOSTES that all circumstances may not be covered by the industrial agreement and that interim solutions (that is one-hour payments on the first Saturday of marking) will not preclude further adjustments.
It would appear the technical difficulties have been overcome at the time this edition went to print.
The following is a letter received by the IEU from BOSTES during the marking process:
"I refer to your letter dated 7 November 2014 to the President of the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (‘BOSTES’) regarding the recent technical difficulties with the BOSTES’ computer systems. I have been asked to respond to your letter.
As requested, BOSTES’ officers met with officers of the Independent Education Union (IEU) this morning to discuss the concerns outlined in your letter. In addition to the information already provided to the IEU last Friday in the BOSTES’ President’s statement on this matter, your officers were advised at that meeting that:
- the technical issues appear to have been successfully remedied;
- markers will be recompensed in accordance with the Higher School Certificate Marking and Related Casual Employees Rates of Pay and Conditions Award 2014 (‘the Markers Award’);
- the details of markers affected by these difficulties are held by the BOSTES for the purposes of (b);
- BOSTES will have regard to instances where markers were unfairlydisadvantaged where the circumstances may not be expressly covered by the Markers Award;
- the individual circumstances of many markers at (d) were addressed on an interim basis during the early phase of the technical difficulties. However, these interim arrangements do not lend themselves to a one-size-fits-all approach and the BOSTES will be consulting with the marker unions on how to fairly address these cases."