Victoria; The Place To Be. Not If You’re A CRT!

Conditions Update for CRTs as at 1.7.08


  • Experienced teachers employed as Casual Relief Teachers in Victoria earn $16011 less per year than the average of all the other Australian states ($13932 less after ratification) and $27269 less than their counterparts in Tasmania ($25190 less after ratification) based on working the 196 school days available for CRTs to work.


  • All Victorian CRTs (on flat rate of $216.50 per day) earn less than the “first year out” rate of 4 out of the 5 states/territories that are paid on graduated rates.


  • In Tasmania, there is a provision for unqualified teachers (working towards their degrees) to teach as relief teachers in exceptional circumstances (eg no other possible teacher replacement in a remote area). The rate of pay for these unqualified teachers is $222.25. (Yes, more than a qualified teacher in Victoria… more than an experienced, qualified teacher in Victoria). After ratification, all Victorian CRTs will get $1.86 more per day than unqualified relieving teachers in Tasmania.



COMPARE THE DAILY RATES:


Tas : $243.19 (1st yr. out ) to $355.66 ( >8 yrs. out )

SA : $237.72 “ to $327.90 ( >7 “ “ ) (to rise on 1.10.08)

NSW : $261.31 “ to $301.71 ( >4 “ “ )

NSW* $274.51 (3rd yr out) to $371.91 (>8 yrs out)

Q : $291.90 (flat rate ) $291.90

ACT : $262.00 ( <10 yrs out. ) to $286.00 ( >10 yrs. out )

WA : $183.19 ( 1st yr out ) to $265.04 ( >8 yrs exp. )

NT : $256.21 ( flat rate ) $256.21 (poss increases in app 3 mths)

Vic : $216.50 (flat rate) $216.50 ($227.11 after ratification)


*NSW rate for teachers working as relief teachers while on leave without pay


COMPARE YEARLY RATES (experienced CRT working all of the 196 available days):


Tas : $69703
SA : $64268
NSW : $66014 (calculated by averaging the two NSW rates)

QLD : $57212

ACT : $56056

WA : $51947

NT : $50217

Vic : $42434 ($44513 after ratification)



  • Victorian CRTs miss out on superannuation. Under Federal law, an employee must be paid superannuation once they earn $450 per month. As soon as a relief teacher in any non-Victorian state earns $450 in any number of state school(s) the employee is paid superannuation since the department is the one employer.

In Victoria, because each school is an employer, a CRT must earn over $450 per month at each school before superannuation is paid


  • In almost every other state, either the department sets up an “agency” for CRTs to register with in order to gain work or the school pays a fee to an outside agency.

In Victoria the teacher pays the agency a fee each day. Many schools use agencies exclusively to employ CRTs which means many CRTs here lose app $24 out of their already low pay each day.


  • In all other states except Victoria (which allows schools to pay CRT rates for up to 6 weeks) contracts (higher pay) must be offered for all vacancies greater than 4 weeks (1 week in QLD).
  • Victorian CRTs (unlike in any other state of Australia) can be asked to work up to 38 hours per week but still only be paid the daily rate of $227.11 per day. This means that if a CRT works every day of the school year under stints of up to 6 weeks at a time, the total earnings for the year would be just $44513, working 38 hours per week. Many are under the impression that a CRT daily rate is for 6 hours of work because the hourly rate is the day rate divided by 6. This is incorrect. The daily rate can be any number of hours per day up to 38 hours per week. The only reason the hourly rate is there is for work less than 6 hours. An experienced CRT in Victoria can therefore work every day of the year at 38 hours a week and receive $6671 less than a first year Graduate teacher.


  • In no state other than Victoria was there the widespread practice of class-splitting whenever a primary teacher called in sick for a one-day absence. The true demand for CRTs in Vic is hidden by this practice.


CRT’s are NOT part of our current Log of Claims because they are not employed by the Education Department. We believe there must be a CRT agreement which improves their pay and conditions to at least parity with their interstate colleagues.

CRT’s do NOT have a voice on AEU State Council. Urge your AEU Sub-branch and Region to support a CRT dedicated position on AEU State Council.