Determination rewarded

Voting is now underway for a new Enterprise Agreement (EA) covering teachers and support staff in all Catholic systemic schools in NSW and the ACT.

The Union encourages all members to vote ‘yes’ for this EA that delivers further salary increases to members with improved conditions and no ‘trade offs’. This settlement is the culmination of a long campaign that had at its heart the fight to protect fair dispute resolution processes, in particular the right to arbitration.

The IEU thanks members for their patience and their strong show of determination throughout this campaign. The turning point in the dispute occurred in December 2017 when a resounding 88% of teachers and support staff voted 'no' to a proposed EA that denied them the right to arbitration. The new document now guarantees that right and ensures the EA and Work Practices Agreements (WPAs) are enforceable. The EA will come into effect seven days after approval by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) and remains in force until 31 December 2019.

What has been achieved?

We now have a strong, unambiguous clause guaranteeing the right to arbitration. This Enterprise Agreement also includes:

Salary increases

Teachers (NSW) and General Employees (NSW and the ACT) will receive:

- 2.5% salary increase backdated from the first full pay period on or after 1 January2018

- 2.5% salary increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2019

Teachers in the ACT will receive:

- 1.5% salary increase backdated from the first full pay period on or after 1 April 2018

- Further increases will reflect government teacher increases in the ACT.

Promotion position allowances will increase in line with salary increases.

Improved support staff conditions

The calculation of permanent hours for support staff will now take place after three years rather than four. This enhances the mechanism to determine what proportion of weekly hours are now permanent.

IT support staff employed by a school will now be formally recognised in the agreement (excludes those employees who work across a system of schools and those covered by agreements pertaining to Catholic Schools Office staff in Canberra-Goulburn and Maitland-Newcastle).

Support staff will now be paid overnight camp allowance.

Improved teacher conditions

Recognition of overseas teaching experience and child rearing.

Teachers with a Masters level degree (moving through the Standards model) will have their additional degree recognised as five year trained status.

Management of teacher workloads and work intensification was a major objective during negotiations. To this end negotiations have occurred across dioceses to modernise, provide clarity and improve conditions in the Work Practices Agreements (WPAs).

Contact the Union if you would like a more information about the outcomes of these negotiations and detailed explanations of some of the points outlined above or a chapter visit to discuss the EA.

For more details on the EA

Gloria Taylor
Deputy Secretary