Full time teachers will now be required to increase their teaching and administrative hours by 16.7 per cent in return for a 4.5 per cent salary increase.

NSW Teachers Federation representative at Cooma TAFE Rita Brademann said her colleagues were angry and disgusted by the IRC’s recent ruling.

“In the end the IRC ruling will decrease, and not increase, TAFE teachers’ productivity.

“Over the last months, the vast majority of TAFE students at Cooma signed a petition to protest against the NSW government’s attack on TAFE, and numerous local stakeholders such as councillors and school teachers also expressed their support,” Ms Brademann said.

“All our students know that we’re working way beyond the call of duty. They know we don’t go home when our hours are up, we go when the job is done.”

The NSW Teachers Federation will explore any possible avenues to overturn the IRC decision, including a legal challenge.

Cooma Federation members have sent a letter of protest to the NSW Education Minister, Verity Firth and have resolved to implement a policy

of ‘work to rule’ and a ban on a range of administrative tasks.