The IEU will commence bargaining for teachers and general employees in coming days. There will be two separate sets of negotiations – for teachers and general employees in the 10 dioceses in NSW and the ACT (with the exception of Broken Bay, which has a separate agreement).
Our claim for the 10 dioceses
The IEU has developed a claim based on the resolution passed at our August Council of more than 100 member delegates, with additional technical items. The claim includes:
- Three-year term: a three-year term of the enterprise agreement from October 2024 in line with the proposed award applying to teachers in NSW Department of Education schools.
- Pay increases: no less than the increases applying to corresponding employees in NSW and ACT government schools and not less than the rate of inflation.
- Release time: an additional two hours’ release from face-to-face teaching time for primary and secondary teachers. We also seek extra release time for those in coordinator and leadership positions.
- Improved parental leave, including:
- superannuation to be paid on paid parental leave
- more flexible timing for a partner to take paid parental leave after the initial primary carer has returned to work or study – that is, leave can be taken within two years rather than 12 months from the date of birth
- the more beneficial parental leave policy adopted by the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goullburn should be included in the enterprise agreement for that diocese.
- Improved Long service leave and personal/carer’s leave for general employees
- Workload reduction: priorities identified by members include out-of-hours work (both scheduled events and professional duties related to classroom teaching); catering for diverse student needs; data collection and compliance; meetings and PD; extras in secondary schools; and class sizes.
- Right to disconnect; and
- Delegates’ rights: insertion of a clause to recognise the newly legislated delegates’ rights.
The union is also seeking to expand the scope of the enterprise agreements to include staff employed in schools who are not covered by the current enterprise agreement. These groups vary from diocese to diocese but include counsellors and other pastoral care staff employed directly by dioceses in schools; family educators; trade trainers; early childhood education and care employees; music tutors and business managers.
Meetings
The union has had preliminary discussions with representatives of the 10 dioceses. We expect notices will be issued shortly by dioceses to employees about the bargaining, and a schedule of meetings has been set.
Teacher pay
Members will have seen media reports that there is an agreement between the NSW government and the NSW Teachers Federation on a three-year deal for teachers employed in NSW government schools. The IEU will ensure that pay increases agreed for teachers in NSW Catholic systemic schools are not less than these increases.
Under the current enterprise agreement, pay rates for teachers employed in the ACT have been agreed until the end of 2025.
Pay for general employees
In the 10 dioceses, there is a provision in the current enterprise agreement that requires the dioceses to match increases gained by support staff in government schools.
The NSW Government has reached agreement with the NSW Public Service Association (PSA) for a 4% increase from July for public sector workers, including support staff in government schools. Dioceses will match this increase, back-dated to July this year.
Broken Bay
Our claim for teachers and general employees in Broken Bay is consistent with the above claim, but we expect the enterprise agreement will have a four-year term commencing from January 2025, following the expiry of the current agreement at the end of December 2024.
The union has held two formal bargaining meetings with Broken Bay Diocese. The diocese has offered pay increases of 3.5%, 3.5%, 3% and 3% over the four years of the proposed enterprise agreement.
In Broken Bay, under the current enterprise agreement, pay rises for general employees will be the same as increases received by teachers. General employees therefore received the large increases gained by teachers effective from October 2023.
Broken Bay has made the same pay rise offer for both teachers and general employees for the next agreement and has committed to maintaining the 1.5% pay margin above rates in government schools.
The Broken Bay pay offer compares favourably to increases being offered elsewhere in the education sector. Despite this, the union is keen to ensure working conditions do not deteriorate as a result.
While we are moving closer to agreement in some areas, key issues remain in relation to workload. The union has raised specific concerns with the diocese in respect of its proposed changes to the Work Practices Agreement.
The union will continue to liaise closely with members as both sets of negotiations continue.