Ups and downs in renewing EAs

As principals are already aware, the IEU lodged a claim in September 2019 for pay rises for Catholic systemic principals, for some specific improvements in working conditions sought by principals, and other improvements in line with the claim for teachers.

Earlier this year, dioceses agreed to flow on the 2020 pay rises to principals but indicated that the principals’ agreements would not be finalised until the main systemic enterprise agreement for teachers and general employees was finalised.

On 13 October the IEU received from the Catholic Commission for Employment Relations (CCER) a draft EA for principals in 10 of the 11 NSW/ACT dioceses. The proposed EA confirms a 2.28% pay rise from January of 2021 and other gains from the general systemic EA such as access to emergency/disaster leave.

CCER advised that it intends to put the NSW/ACT principals’ EA to the vote at the same time in Term 4 as the agreement for teachers and general employees.

The Sydney Archdiocese will retain its own EA for principals and bargaining meetings were held on 2 July and 16 October. The union raised inconsistencies in the principals’ pay scales between Sydney and other dioceses, along with contract renewal/progression and concerns about implementing the “10 year ceiling” for principalship in one school.

The IEU thanks systemic principal members for their engagement and support and for recent opportunities to meet online in several dioceses. We look forward to liaising further with more principals as their EA negotiations progress.

Principals are welcome to contact the IEU if there is anything they would like us to clarify or discuss.