Long awaited pay rises are on the way for teachers in ACT Catholic systemic schools. Pay rises for teachers in Catholic systemic schools have traditionally matched those applying in government schools in the same jurisdiction.
As a consequence, enterprise agreements for teachers in Catholic systemic schools generally have the same increases and are in force for the same period as the pay arrangements for teachers in government schools.
Delays may occur because it takes a while for the wording and detail of the state settlement to be finalised, or because there are other issues in dispute in our sector or the government sector.
In the case of the ACT there is a particular problem. ACT teachers in Catholic systemic schools are covered by the NSW and ACT Catholic Systemic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2017 (the 2017 EA) that also applies to NSW.
The timing and duration of the 2017 EA reflects the settlements in NSW, where the majority of employees under the EA are employed.
At the time the 2017 EA was finalised, there was an award for teachers in NSW government schools for the period 2017-2019 but there was no agreement for teachers in ACT government schools for pay rises after April 2018.
The last pay increase contained in the 2017 EA for teachers in ACT Catholic schools was therefore the 1.5% pay rise in April 2018. However, the 2017 EA requires that throughout the term of the EA, teacher pay increases will be in line with those applying in ACT government schools.
The IEU understands that agreement has now been reached for pay rises for teachers in ACT government schools, as follows:
1.5%October 2018
3% July 2019
3%July 2020
3%July 2021
1.5%July 2022
Other non salary improvements agreed in ACT government schools, such as improved superannuation and a reduction in face to face teaching, will not automatically flow on to teachers in ACT Catholic schools but will be raised by the IEU in negotiations later this year, for a new enterprise agreement for NSW and ACT Catholic schools.
The Union met with Director Ross Fox, and other representatives of Catholic Education (Canberra and Goulburn) (CE) on 6 June 2019 to discuss the public sector agreement. We have been assured by CE that teacher pay increases will occur in line with the NSW and ACT Catholic Schools Enterprise Agreement 2017.
Under the 2017 EA, pay increases for support staff in ACT schools are the same as those in NSW Catholic schools – an increase was paid in January 2018 and 2019.