In the lead up to PSA Schools Recognition Week this year I had the pleasure of attending and meeting with our Delegates at the Schools Departmental Committee meeting. I cannot put it any better than our General Secretary when he said at the beginning of Recognition Week, “You know you are essential workers every day creating the best possible learning environment for students.”

Whether they work in an office, a classroom, or the grounds, whether they work in a preschool, primary school, or high school, or any of the unique or remote school settings, our members in schools are important for NSW. Every year PSA Schools Recognition Week gives us the chance to let the state know how vital they are.

The PSA first launched Recognition Week in the early 2000s. Since that time we have expanded this amazing celebration of our members in schools to bring all classifications together to celebrate the role you have delivering excellence for your school communities.

Our union has a long history of representing workers in the state’s education system; as long as the union’s existence in fact. And it is one of the most dynamic areas of the Public Sector. The rank-and-file workforce is a female-dominated workforce, so our undervalued and underpaid membership has been, and remains an area for continual campaigning. The public versus private education, and the funding, or lack-there-of has been an issue which increases in importance year after year.

Child Protection and our children’s physical and psychological health are also of critical concern. But, let’s not forget the physical and psychological health and safety of our members in education! Again, highly critical.

PSA CPSU NSW members in schools and education hold up their side of the deal in providing excellent, world-class learning and research for NSW.

We hold up our end. Do the state and federal governments do the same?

Canberra and Macquarie Street have passed policies to be lauded; free TAFE and incentives for young people wanting to train as tradespeople. And generous capital works funding for desperately needed infrastructure. Bringing salaries up towards a liveable wage. And some job security for our members in long-term temporary roles. Though there is more work to be done here.

There are also things to boo and hiss at. Cutting jobs from NSW TAFE. Cutting funding to public schools; and the biggest boo this year; the enormous job cuts to our state’s universities and the Art Gallery of NSW.

Just like with Transport for NSW, the over-bloated executive classes at universities and cultural institutions such as the gallery all propose slashing hundreds of jobs, while taking a raise in executive pay at the same time.

We say to the state and federal governments, hold up your end of the deal. Our members provide excellence. You can do the same. Our delegates and industrial staff are working tirelessly to save jobs. We have identified ways to make savings without devastating the workforce. And we’ve gained some ground. But it requires structural change; starting at the very top.