THOUSANDS OF AUSTRALIAN TEACHERS AND TRANSPORT WORKERS JOIN STRIKE FOR BETTER WAGES

Tue 07 December 2021:

Thousands of teachers and transport workers in Sydney went on strike on Tuesday to demand improved working conditions, according to unions. It was the first large-scale strike in a decade.

“What an extraordinary day. Over 50,000 teachers, rail workers and bus drivers stood up to the Government, went on strike and demanded a better working life. This is people using their collective power to put their working life and destiny in their own hands,” local unions tweeted.

The demonstration, according to a follow-up tweet, demanded that the state government address concerns such as “job security, overwork, unpaid overtime, and stagnant wages.”

Thousands of striking teachers descended on NSW parliament on Tuesday for the first time in in a decade, demanding that the government address excessive workloads, low pay, and staff shortages.

Many wore red t-shirts and held signs in support of the NSW Teachers Federation, which organized the 24-hour strike that shut down over 400 state schools.

Educators have petitioned the government to raise their compensation by 7.5 percent each year and reverse staff cuts, according to 9News, despite the fact that the state currently lacks over 3,000 teaching posts, prompting increasing workloads for those who remain.

Union president Angelo Gavrielatos thanked protesters.

“Not for your attendance here today but rather for what you do every day, for your public service, what you do for the kids in your classroom … I thank you, I salute you,” he said.

Bus drivers in Sydney’s inner west continued a strike from Monday and were joined by drivers from Sydney’s southwest, demanding government contractor Transit Systems negotiate over what workers say is an unfair two-tier wage system.

According to the publication, rail workers and bus drivers sought a salary increase of at least 2.5 percent.

The big strike disrupted traffic and forced the closure of around 400 schools across New South Wales.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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