The KU Children’s Services Teachers Enterprise Agreement (EA) 2019-2021 was due to be voted on at Newsmonth deadline.
The improvements contained in the EA are set out below. The improvements in conditions will only take effect after the EA has been approved by the Fair Work Commission.
Salaries
The EA incorporates the following increases (already paid in the case of the increases from 2016-2019) which are in line with or above pay rises applying generally in the education sector:
- 3% on 1 January 2016
- 3% on 1 January 2017
- 3% on 1 January 2018
- 2.5% on 1 January 2019
$102,984 4 year trained top step - long day care
$99,025 4 year trained top step - preschool - 2.5% on 1 January 2020, and
- 2.5% on 1 January 2021.
There is also a new allowance of $2000 per annum for teachers with an approved Masters degree.
Paid parental leave for the primary care giver will now be a maximum of 14 weeks instead of the current maximum of nine weeks, based on length of service, (14 weeks for eight year or more of employment).
Programing time for teachers and teacher directors will be increased to four hours per week (pro-rata for part time). Directors will now receive five discretionary days per year of administration time, which is an additional three days for long day care Directors and two additional days for preschool Directors.
Two days of paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave will be included in the EA.
KU will provide up to two days paid leave for up to five union delegates per year to attend union training.
Teachers and directors will receive 50 minutes of paid breaks per day (30 minute lunch plus 2 x 10 minute rest pauses), which is an increase of ten minutes per day.
Payment whilst on jury service will be limited to 20 days at full pay. Teachers and directors will receive the government allowance of $247.40 per day (currently) for jury service should it continue beyond 20 days.
Preschool teachers will receive time in lieu for attendance at professional development, staff meetings or other activities deemed essential work practices that have been pre-approved in writing, after they have completed eight hours in a calendar year. Long Day Care teachers will continue to be paid or receive time in lieu for all hours worked outside normal working hours, in addition to attendance at activities deemed essential work practices and pre-approved in writing.
The IEU is disappointed that KU have rejected our claim for significantly increased administration time for 2 unit and 2.5 unit preschool directors. However, the EA contains some improvement in administration time and the IEU will continue to press this issue strongly with KU in the future.