Canteen Worker
First Grader
Workplace Reporter
May 23, 2006
ONE of the country's wealthiest schools, Newington College, faces a staff revolt after telling 40 senior teachers they must re-apply for their jobs by next Friday and agree to work up to four more weeks a year.
In response staff have voted to boycott the process, vowing not to apply for any of the jobs.
The school's headmaster, David Scott, yesterday denied he was trying to exploit the new industrial laws. He said the move was about making the school more efficient.
However, sources told the Herald Mr Scott had said in meetings the school was considering declaring itself a constitutional corporation, a legal status that would allow it to enter the federal industrial relations system.
Mr Scott said teachers would still fall under the relevant state awards after the restructure and would still get four weeks annual leave a year. "The timing is not great but I can't wait around forever for good timing," he said, adding that the changes had been mooted a year ago.
"This has got nothing whatsoever to do with WorkChoices. I think the unions are trying to use this as a WorkChoices issue.
"It's about providing time when teachers and administrators can do their professional training outside of the time when students are here so they are not out of class."
Teachers were notified of the changes last week in a document called Restructure of Academic and Pastoral Positions. In it, heads of department, year masters and house masters were asked to provide a resumé of "not more than three A4 typed pages" by June 2 identifying relevant qualifications and experience.
Sixty-eight of the school's teachers voted at a union meeting yesterday to flag industrial action by notifying the state Industrial Relations Commission of the dispute.
The Independent Education Union's NSW and ACT secretary, Dick Shearman, said Newington was "putting itself up as the WorkChoices school", even though the church which owns it has publicly opposed the laws.
May 23, 2006
ONE of the country's wealthiest schools, Newington College, faces a staff revolt after telling 40 senior teachers they must re-apply for their jobs by next Friday and agree to work up to four more weeks a year.
In response staff have voted to boycott the process, vowing not to apply for any of the jobs.
The school's headmaster, David Scott, yesterday denied he was trying to exploit the new industrial laws. He said the move was about making the school more efficient.
However, sources told the Herald Mr Scott had said in meetings the school was considering declaring itself a constitutional corporation, a legal status that would allow it to enter the federal industrial relations system.
Mr Scott said teachers would still fall under the relevant state awards after the restructure and would still get four weeks annual leave a year. "The timing is not great but I can't wait around forever for good timing," he said, adding that the changes had been mooted a year ago.
"This has got nothing whatsoever to do with WorkChoices. I think the unions are trying to use this as a WorkChoices issue.
"It's about providing time when teachers and administrators can do their professional training outside of the time when students are here so they are not out of class."
Teachers were notified of the changes last week in a document called Restructure of Academic and Pastoral Positions. In it, heads of department, year masters and house masters were asked to provide a resumé of "not more than three A4 typed pages" by June 2 identifying relevant qualifications and experience.
Sixty-eight of the school's teachers voted at a union meeting yesterday to flag industrial action by notifying the state Industrial Relations Commission of the dispute.
The Independent Education Union's NSW and ACT secretary, Dick Shearman, said Newington was "putting itself up as the WorkChoices school", even though the church which owns it has publicly opposed the laws.
