The State School Teachers’ Union of WA is pleased that members will now be able to access COVID leave immediately if needed, with the requirement to first exhaust other forms of leave now being lifted.
SSTUWA President Pat Byrne said: “This is the direct result of extensive lobbying by UnionsWA and affiliated public sector unions, including the SSTUWA, through meetings and public statements.
“The union’s consistent position has been that to keep schools open you need to keep teachers safe.
“The SSTUWA will continue to pursue improvements in a range of areas including provision of PPE, a focus on improving air quality and managing access to schools and TAFEs.
“We reiterate our previous requests for parents and the broader community to recognise the challenges schools and TAFEs face, to understand the inevitability of disruption in coming weeks and to be patient and supportive as staff work to keep students and themselves as safe as possible,” Ms Byrne said.
MEDIA CONTACT: Alison Middleton, CGM Communications, 041 692 1396.
