IEU and BOSTES representatives went before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission on 12 November to discuss a dispute over pay for HSC markers who marked papers less than three hours long in the onscreen mode.
Specifically, BOSTES proposes paying for the marking of the English Paper 1 questions at the rate of $4.056 per question. The Union argued that under the HSC Marking and Related Casual Employees Rates of Pay and Conditions Award the correct rate should be $6.01 per question.
Following a direction of the Commission that the parties further discuss the matter, a meeting was scheduled at the Union’s office on 20 November, prior to a report back before the Commission on 26 November.
The Union is concerned that the issue could extend beyond the English paper to other courses where the written paper is less than three hours in duration.
To this end, BOSTES was asked to provide information prior to the meeting on rates per question it proposes to pay in relation to papers of less than three hours that are being marked in the on-screen mode.
The Union also identified that pay slips don’t adequately disclose what people are being paid per question, and how many questions have been marked.
This, it believes, is largely the reason why such a dispute had not been identified and addressed previously. The Union pressed for the disclosure of rates per question and for payment advice to be amended so that members can clearly identify how many questions they actually marked, and how much they have been paid in relation to each such question.
Both parties were due to report back before the Commission at 9am on 26 November 2015.