Mowbray teachers to walk off job

The Age
Farrah Tomazin
June 17, 2009

TEACHERS at a private school plagued by industrial turmoil and claims of
bullying and intimidation will walk off the job today, in what is believed to
be the first strike at a Victorian independent school.

Classes at Mowbray College will shut down when more than 100 teachers
across three campuses take protected industrial action as tensions rise
between staff and management.

The move centres on a wage dispute, with claims that the western suburban
school is underpaying staff by not honouring an agreement to backpay them
to the start of the school year. But the industrial unrest has been compounded
by months of accusations that some teachers have been bullied by members
of the board.

The general secretary of the Victorian Independent Education Union, Deb
James, said 22 Mowbray teachers had either left the school or were about
to leave, and about six were pursuing legal action.

As The Age reported last month, WorkSafe has also issued a provisional
improvement notice over alleged breaches of the Occupational Health and
Safety Act relating to bullying and intimidation of staff. "Mowbray is an
excellent school with dedicated staff, and it is a very great pity the current
issues are causing so much damage to morale," Ms James said.

About 123 union teachers will walk off the job for four hours this morning —
believed to be first time an independent school has taken industrial action in
Victoria. And it may not be the last, with the union threatening a 24-hour
walk-out if negotiations do not improve.

Mowbray acting principal Peter Forbes said he had issued a new collective
wage offer that, if accepted on Friday, would include an immediate 3 per cent
pay rise, payment for prescribed staff uniforms and 14 weeks' maternity leave.

"While we continue to support the right of our staff to take industrial action
as they see fit, we are disappointed the dispute has reached a point that it is
now affecting our students and their families. Mowbray College has done
everything it viably can to make the union happy — including agreeing to
pass on wage increases immediately as of June 19, despite constant claims
to the contrary," he said.

He said claims of bullying were taken seriously, but the allegations had been
largely unsubstantiated.