NSW teachers will strike for 24 hours on Wednesday next week amid their continuing dispute with the state government to improve pay and address teacher shortages and workloads.
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A resolution was passed on Tuesday by NSW Teachers Federation members which also authorised them walk off school grounds if a NSW government MP enters them, and put an immediate ban on the implementation of new policies such as the kindergarten to year 2 syllabus.
Read more: Unions plan major bus strike across NSW
Teachers Federation Senior Vice President Amber Flohm said the "wage offer" by the government (increases of 2.5 per cent) won't cover inflation.
"Every day hundreds of classes are going uncovered and the only way to stop more teachers leaving the profession and attracting more people to the profession is to fix those shortages," Ms Flohm told the Mercury.
The NSW Teachers Federation's state executive met on Tuesday to consider industrial action after teachers went on strike last year before suspending action to negotiate with the government.
The NSW Government is facing pressure from numerous public sector unions.
Already this year, there has been repeated industrial action from nurses, health workers, transport workers and paramedics, who are all pushing the government from better pay and conditions.
"Ultimately the public sector wage cap is impacting on the public services and teachers are an example of this," Ms Flohm said.
"The only thing the government hasn't tried to do is reduce the work load or pay teachers a competitive salary that reflect their expertise."
The teachers union says Premier Dominic Perrottet has failed to make progress on the issue of teacher shortages, and has squandered opportunities to engage in genuine negotiations throughout Term 1.
It wants the government to address a lack of teachers, and what it says is the underlying cause - uncompetitive salaries and crippling workloads.
It comes after the NSW Teachers Federation made the decision during its February State Council meeting to suspend its industrial campaign.
That decision was made in good faith that the premier would engage with their concerns.
"The premier refused to embrace that opportunity and, as a result, he has failed students, their parents and the teaching profession," the union said in a statement.
A special meeting of the Federation's State Executive was being held on Tuesday morning.
Union membership was asked to "ready itself" ahead of the meeting by NSW Teachers Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos.
NSW teachers went on a state-wide strike in November, walking off the job in defiance of a ruling by the state's industrial commission.
The premier said he was disappointed by the strike action, saying the government's offer of a 2.5 per cent pay rise was "fair and reasonable".
The teacher's union wants a pay rise of between five and 7.5 per cent, as well as two extra hours of planning time.
According to Mr Gavrielatos said there were 2383 permanent teacher vacancies across 1251 NSW schools in February.
A new poll of 10,000 NSW teachers released on Tuesday found 73 per cent said their workload was unmanageable and 70 per cent were reconsidering their position due to the workload.
- with Australian Associated Press
