Keep the Pressure On! Holiday Protest Action

We invite you and your friends to attend two school vacation protest activities to show your support for a strong, vibrant and properly resourced public education system in South Australia.

Rally at Industrial Affairs Minister Michael Wright's Electorate Office, Shop 4, 173-177 Tapleys Hill Road, Seaton at 10:30 am on Monday 7 July.

Rally at Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith's Electorate Office, 84 Prospect Road, Prospect at 10:30 am on Thursday 17 July.

Please bring your banners, placards, friends and family to protest the unfunded, unfair and unworkable Enterprise Bargaining offers for preschool, schools and TAFE.

P.S Don't forget to subscribe to AEUPOD: Go to the iTunes link on the right of this page.

AEUPOD Episode 12 - Negotiations continue...

AEU Stop Work Vodcast

Coming Soon: AEU Metro Rally Video

Come back soon for the video from Tuesday's rally in the city. Below: more photos from Tuesday's statewide rallies.

Country members rally for public education

AEU members in the country took part in yesterday's full-day stoppage by marching and rallying in their local communities. Yesterday's action came about because State Government negotiators have been unable to provide a fair and reasonable enterprise offer to South Australian educators.

In Whyalla, Berri, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Port Pirie and as far away as the APY Lands, AEU members sent a clear message to the State Government that they want to negotiate a better offer with decision makers rather than bureaucrats with little experience or understanding of the roles educators perform.

AEU members bring city to a standstill...

Around 8,000 AEU members marched from Rymill Park to Parliament House today in what must be the largest rally in the city since 100,000 hit the streets to protest the War in Iraq. Check out some footage and a report from Advertiser Education reporter Lucy Hood here.

Stay tuned for more video, photos and reports from today's rally.

(Photo: Philip Griffin)

Advertiser online readers voting in favour of stop work action

Adelaide Now, the online site for the Advertiser, is running a poll today on the AEU's stop work action. The vote so far shows that there is strong community support for the action - 61 percent in favour!

Click here to cast your vote.

AEU Stop Work Rally Ad

Statewide stoppage, rally and march

Despite media reports saying the AEU will "defy orders from the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC)" and proceed with the planned stop work on Tuesday, we have neither received any orders or stated that we will defy them. The AEU Stop Work will go ahead as planned. See below for details

Members are encouraged to join in solidarity with their union colleagues on Tuesday 17 June to let the State Government know that their Enterprise Bargaining Offer is unacceptable to education employees and potentially disastrous for South Australian students.

Assemble at Rymill Park (East Parklands adjacent to Grenfell Street at 10.15 am for a 10.45 am march to Parliament House.

Click here for information on country rallies and activities for those unable to attend the Adelaide metro rally.

Schools to be worse off

Click here for link to ABC News article.

New offer no better, adds insult to injury

AEU Executive met late this afternoon, rejecting the new offer from the State Government noting that they have done little to address the problems in the original enterprise offer. Ministers Wright and Lomax-Smith have announced that they will take the AEU to the Industrial Relations Commission to prevent the stop work action planned for this Tuesday. Good luck to them both!

It's only in the last few days that the Education Minister, Jane Lomax-Smith, has bothered to involve herself in the EB process, just days before we plan to take industrial action. Educators, non-teaching staff, parents, students and children in South Australia should be alarmed that the Minister charged with managing the state's public education system has only just involved herself in negotiations that have been underway since the beginning of the school year.

The AEU has called on the Premier Mike Rann to intervene and ensure that public education in South Australia is properly funded so that preschool, school and TAFE educators can continue to provide high quality educational experiences to our students.

Click here to read the press release.

Government offer all at sea

South Australian students are lucky enough to have access to world's best practice when it comes to swimming and aquatics instruction. Programs run by South Australian instructors are internationally recognised, yet after thirty years they are still not covered by any formal award conditions. Members met last week to discuss the government offer and how it relates to Swimming & Aquatics. Read the short report here.

Foley's Budget fails South Australian students...

Kevin Foley's seventh State Budget has handed millions of dollars in tax breaks to South Australian business while almost completely ignoring the educational needs of South Australian students.

The ALP continued it's love affair with corporate South Australia by announcing massive reductions in payroll tax and increased investment opportunities for the private sector. The business community is set to save around $600 million this coming financial year while many essential services were largely ignored in what Mike Rann is calling a "terrific budget".

The Premier said it was "time to step up to the plate" and build the infrastructure to support the state's mining boom. How about stepping up to the plate to support public education Mr Rann?

Of course, hitting home runs for business is much higher on this government's agenda. Click here to read the AEU's press release.

AEUPOD - State Budget interview with Correna Haythorpe

In case you missed today's Advertiser...

The front page of today's Advertiser featured this story from Education writer Lucy Hood. The Advertiser also ran a phone and an online poll. As at 10.58pm the online poll results look like this:








The State Government's inability to make teaching an attractive career aside, it's nice to know that the general public are smart enough to see the problems. They are obviously a well-educated bunch!

AEU Metro Rally - 16th May 2008

AEU Branch Council endorses stop work actions...

Around 140 delegates from around the state voted unanimously to stop work on June 17th after the government failed to provide a new and improved offer by the May 28 deadline. Click here to read the press release.

AEU releases Federal Budget Report

Click here to download Federal Research Officer Jenni Devereaux's report on the 2008 Federal Budget.