North West Sub Branch Report

Reps and activists attend in good numbers

Fourteen reps and activists representing 10 workplaces attended the North West Sub-Branch meeting at Armidale Bowling Club on Friday 19 February.

I congratulate and thank the members elected to the North West Sub-Branch Committee:

President: Helen Templeton

Vice President: Raelene Maxworthy

Secretary: Fiona O’Neill

Committee members: Libby Lockwood; Denise McHugh; Judy Miller; Kate Clynch; Sharon Draper; Alex Wharton

Members raised the difficulty of attracting staff to regional schools and ongoing issues of work intensification. They also raised concerns about the development of online learning blurring the boundaries between term time and school holidays and how this also intensifies workloads.

The following two resolutions were passed and subsequently raised at Council on Saturday 20 March:

Resolution 1

That the North West Sub-Branch notes NESA has recognised that teacher workload has been significantly increased during COVID 19 and productivity, as a consequence has increased. To recognise the professional growth of teachers during this time, NESA Accredited Professional Development (PD) of five hours to all teachers in NSW.

As such, employers who have consistently argued that pay increases should be linked to productivity should also recognise the extraordinary productivity of their employees at this time and award proper pay increases.

Resolution 2

That the North West Sub-Branch supports the IEU in resisting the 2024 timeline for Curriculum reform. The 2024 timeline is not achievable, and it is unrealistic. It is a moral imperative to produce an excellent curriculum not a rushed curriculum.

I look forward our next meeting at 5.30pm on Friday 21 May at the Tamworth Hotel.

Dave Towson
Organiser