Jeremy Hanson, Shadow Education Minister has called on the ACT Labor-Greens Government to refer ACT teacher pay and conditions to the Fair Work Ombudsman to address pay and conditions for all ACT teachers, particularly in light of possible ‘wage theft’.

“In a recent survey by the Australian Education Union, I was shocked to see that nearly all respondents (97%) said they work more than their maximum weekly hours, including weekends, evenings, periods of leave or stand down,” said Mr Hanson.

“Almost all teachers report working unpaid over-time every week, with more than 40% of them working 10 or more hours, and even more hours when weekend work is included.

“Appallingly, teachers regularly supply classroom materials and resources from their own pockets.”

The AEU report concludes: “The harsh reality is that ACT public school teachers subsidise the ACT Government’s spending on education to the tune of at least $75 million every year on salaries alone.”

“In any other industry, this could be called wage theft,” said Mr Hanson.

“That’s why I am calling on this government to refer the salaries and working conditions of ACT teachers to the Fair Work Ombudsman for review.

“Of all the workers in the ACT system, the last who should be subject to these sorts of work practices are our teachers.

“The Fair Work Ombudsman is the right place to judge this desperate situation and provide an impartial assessment,” Mr Hanson concluded.