SSO and Beginning Teacher Pay issues (again!)

The AEU has received numerous queries from principals and sub-branch secretaries about the salary non-payment/under payment of SSOs and beginning teachers.

Upon investigation of this issue, the key issues are variations in pay. SSOs who have had an increase in hours or classifications are having the most problems. Many of these variations have been submitted at a local level via the VSP, however, as a result of Government cutbacks, there are apparently insufficient staff in DECS or Shared Services to process the salaries.  Delayed payment of SSO hours will have a massive impact on many SSOs and that there will be a huge backlog of transactions to be processed by the Department.

In addition, we are aware that many beginning teachers are going through the usual battle of not receiving their pay.

Sub-branch Action:

If salary non-payment/under payment has occurred at your worksite:

•    identify all SSO and beginning teacher employees who have not been paid correctly this year;
•    write to Minister Weatherill to seek his intervention in this matter; and
•    forward a copy of the letter to the AEU so we can ascertain how widespread the issue is.

Suggested wording:

The Hon Jay Weatherill MP
Minister for Education
31 Flinders Street
ADELAIDE  SA  5000

Dear Minister Weatherill,

At …………(insert site name) ….. SSOs and … beginning teachers have not been paid correctly.  This creates significant difficulties for these DECS employees in having to manage their financial situation.  

Information in relation to pay variations has been submitted to DECS on time via the VSP process, however, this has not resulted in prompt salary payments for these staff members.   

We request your urgent intervention to ensure that the problems with the VSP are resolved and that DECS and Shared Services employ sufficient staff to process salary payments on time.

Further, we request an immediate payment of outstanding salary to the staff concerned.

We look forward to your prompt attention to this matter.

Yours sincerely

…………AEU Sub-branch