The document agreed to by members at Sky Channel meetings on June 2 was an Agreement about the matters described therein. Members may recall that the Agreement specified that there would be a Director General’s Determination to ensure the payment to teachers of the cash back payment and the 4% salary increase payable on and from 3/4/2000. The Federation has sought that the Determination be made so that teachers receive this payment no later than the first pay date in August 2000.

If any delays occur the Executive of the Federation will decide if any member action is required.

If your are about to retire or resign you should:

• ask the Department to confirm in writing that you will get the money and
• seek independent financial advice as to whether or not you should go now or wait until you receive the money.

The Federation is arguing that members who retire after 3 April 2000 but before the Determination is made get the benefits of the back payment and the 4%.

Members may also recall that the Agreement specified that a Consent Award shall be drafted to commence from 1/1/2001 to provide for the remaining salary increases and other Award-related provisions of the Agreement. The Consent Award shall draw on the 1996 Awards in schools and TAFE as amended to reflect the current Agreement between the Teachers Federation and the

DET, as well as the deletion of clauses that are obsolete or superseded. The drafting of the Consent Award may take some time.

When the details of the Director General’s Determination and the Consent Award are finalised the Federation will provide information to schools and colleges on the significance and interpretation of Award clauses. An annotated award document will be created and provided to all schools and colleges.

Members are advised that, until both the Director General’s Determination and the Consent Award are finalised, the current Award provisions apply.

Members are advised the Federation recognises the annual school report template tabled in Industrial Relations Commission in 1997. The Federation rejects the unilateral changes made to the template by the DET in 1999.