The IEU thanks principal members for their support during Term 2 and hopes that principals and staff can have some well earned time for rest and renewal during the July school vacation period.
Congratulations once again to Sidonie Coffey, Louise O’Sullivan and John Farrell on their election as principals’ representatives to IEU Council and it was great to have their presence at Council on 18 June.
Workload issues are of major importance to all IEU members and appreciation is expressed to Principals Branch members for their response to the request at the Term 2 Branch meeting to identify some of the assessment, compliance or other data being required at present and whether this comes from federal or state/territory governments, bodies such as the CEC or the AIS, or directly from a diocesan office or an independent school board etc.
Further input from principals is most welcome to enable the IEU to obtain an overview of current workload demands and where these are being generated. A specific area of concern is around the expectations on programing and how this can be better streamlined and managed.
With regard to the Catholic systemic enterprise agreement (EA) negotiations, the IEU is continuing to meet with the Catholic Commission for Employment Relations (CCER), most recently on 15 June. The Union still has some significant concerns about the current CCER offer, including in relation to salaries, and a further response from CCER is awaited. We look forward to consulting with our principal members when the next CCER proposal is received.
Thank you in particular to Principals Branch member Jude Ryan for arranging a phone conference for Wilcannia-Forbes principal members on 14 June. At this stage, Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese is not part of CCER’s negotiations with the IEU for the next principals’ EA and the Union is concerned to protect the interests of Wilcannia-Forbes principal members. The IEU welcomes opportunities to meet with principal members at local, regional and diocesan levels.
In the Sydney Archdiocese, the principals’ EA is only for 2016 and the IEU is keen to clarify Sydney’s intentions in relation to either continuing a separate EA or whether they wish be part of an inclusive NSW/ACT agreements for principals.