<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Public schools across </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/tasmania" rel="" target="_blank" title="Tasmania"><span>Tasmania</span></a><span> will be shut for the morning today and tomorrow as teachers protest low wages in the state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The state's classrooms, along with public health and community services, are facing a second day of disruptions while thousands of public sector workers walk off the job and take part in industrial action.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It comes as the state suffers an </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/birth-rates-ageing-parents-what-it-means-for-australia/f136cbc0-6e5d-442e-8175-e986aaf40aab" rel="" target="_blank" title="ongoing population decline"><span>ongoing population decline</span></a><span>, with young people fleeing Tasmania in droves for the mainland in search of better job opportunities and pay.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/hurricane-melissa-landfall-jamaica-live-updates-most-powerful-storm-of-2025/39ea098e-c578-4dec-8d68-3a844c6d72e4" target="_blank"><strong><span>Hurricane Melissa makes landfall in Jamaica</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>Have you left Tasmania for the mainland? Contact</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>reporter April Glover at</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="mailto:april.glover@nine.com.au" target="" title="april.glover@nine.com.au"><em><strong><span>april.glover@nine.com.au</span></strong></em></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Classrooms in the north remained closed until 11am as staff participated in the stop work action.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Teachers in Launceston took to the streets to demand better pay.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/tasmania-industrial-action-teachers-and-public-sector-workers-take-to-streets-as-residents-leave-state-for-better-pay/1b105434-d4e0-46ed-a7c6-b19533cb0cf0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Educators continue to do an extraordinary job for our students but everyone agrees they are being asked to do too much with too little and the system is in crisis," said Australian Education Union (AEU) President David Genford.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Teachers, principals and support staff are in unison saying 'enough is enough'."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Classrooms in the region will be shut until 11am on stop work days and students will begin their day at 11.30am.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Schools across the south, including Hobart, will be impacted by the teacher's strike tomorrrow.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Tasmanian members of the Health and Community Services Union (HCSU) also marched in solidarity with their public sector colleagues.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Workers are calling for an offer from the government that "addresses the wages gap between Tasmania and the mainland".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Tasmanian public sector workers deserve respect, a real wage rise, safe workloads and better conditions – it's time the government recognised that," the HCSU said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/luke-bateman-tiktok-book-podcast-in-the-good-books-exclusive-interview/aeb1e811-261f-4a44-adb1-f96f400b2e08" target="_blank"><strong><span>A 90-second video made Luke a viral sensation - but it came at a cost</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/french-first-lady-brigitte-macron-plagued-by-deep-anxiety-over-false-claims-shes-a-man-daughter-reveals/362208e1-4930-47d8-879a-a4f690901b0f" target="_blank"><strong><span>First lady plagued by 'deep anxiety' over false claims she's a man</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A total of 5472 Tasmanians have moved to Australia's mainland over the past 2.5 years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Public sector staff say this can be attributed to the state's meagre wages compared to the mainland.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The McKell Institute reported Tasmanian public servents are earning almost $6000 less per year than their interstate counterparts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Tasmania's Shadow Treasurer Josh Willow last year claimed that "planeloads of working-aged Tasmanians are leaving every few days".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Every four days a planeload of Tasmanians leave our shores in search of better opportunities elsewhere, and they're working-age, tax-paying Tasmanians that we need participating in our economy," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Secretary of Unions Australia Jessica Munday told </span><em><span>ABC News Breakfast</span></em><span> the state government has prioritised building an AFL stadium over negotiationg higher wages.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's a big issue for Tasmania, the stadium," Munday said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And people will have very different views on it. But I think if Tasmania can afford a stadium, we can afford to pay teachers, health professionals and all our public sector workers a decent wage.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is about priorities."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Members of the the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) rejected the state government's proposed 3 per cent pay rise earlier this month.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Tasmania's Minister for Education Jo Palmer said earlier this week the state government was "extremely disappointed" in the industrial action.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Every day of school matters. This disruptive and unnecessary action by the unions' means we are unable to guarantee there will be enough staff on site to adequately care for students," Palmer said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We recognise the impact this will have on students, families and small businesses, and we again call on the unions to take the pay rise being offered and keep schools open."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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