The IEU once again thanks principal members for their great engagement and support and expresses our best wishes for Term 4 ahead. In a year which has continued to feel the impact of COVID, extreme weather events and staff shortages, schools have been required to move quickly and flexibly to address these situations and principals have been at the frontline of supporting their students, staff and school communities.
Regarding Catholic systemic enterprise agreement negotiations, the IEU has written to all diocesan directors to encourage them to reach an acceptable salaries and conditions outcome with the union and has also again written to Catholic Employment Relations (CER) to urge them to progress bargaining with the IEU.
Significantly, the IEU was granted leave in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (NSWIRC) to intervene in support of the NSW Teachers Federation’s case against the NSW Government’s proposal to lock in for three years a state award with annual percentage pay rises for government school teachers and principals of only 2.53 per cent when inflation is 6.1 per cent.
While directly affecting government school teachers and principals, the IRC recognised that its decision would also affect the Catholic sector, thus granting leave for the IEU to appear in the case.
In relation to the proposed Maitland-Newcastle Diocese restructure and its impact on principals and their schools, the IEU thanks the principals who participated in a Zoom meeting on 5 September and who then followed up by endorsing motions about staffing concerns in the proposed new structure and about shared services agreements.
A letter forwarding these resolutions was sent to the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese Chief Executive Officer Sean Scanlon on 29 September and the union is waiting for a response.
The IEU looks forward to meeting with independent sector principal members via Zoom on 27 October, with Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese principals on 28 October and with Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese principals on 17 November.
IEU Principals’ Sub Branch will meet on 5 November at the IEU Parramatta office and via Zoom.
Our union values its principal members and welcomes their vital contribution to the IEU’s activities. While principals have been and are at the forefront dealing with many of the recent challenges facing schools, they have continued to support their colleagues and to exercise leadership at workplace and community levels.
Whatever Term 4 and beyond may bring, the IEU always looks forward to working with our principal members to protect and enhance their professional, industrial and wellbeing interests.