For the first time, employees in all dioceses in NSW and the ACT will be under the one enterprise agreement (EA) if the new proposed agreement is made.
The Union has agreed to this on condition that employees in the ACT are not disadvantaged.
Teachers
In particular the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn has finally agreed that ACT teachers will not be paid less than teachers in ACT public schools.
They have committed to back pay of the 1.5% pay rise from the first pay period on or after 1 October last year and a further 1.5% pay increase from the first pay period on or after 1 April this year with continuing increases of 1.5% each six months.
These increases are the same as the increases that will apply to teachers in ACT government schools.
Previously the Archdiocese had offered a 2.27% pay rise from 1 January 2015 and 2.5% from 1 January 2016. Back pay of any additional amount paid to teachers in the public sector was only offered from the date of the approval of a new public sector EA by the Fair Work Commission, which could be 12 months after the actual back pay date in the public sector.
The Archdiocese has agreed to the retention of the work practice provisions in the current enterprise agreement.
The superannuation co-payment scheme will continue to apply, but only to those teachers in the ACT employed as at the date of commencement of the new EA. Under this scheme the Archdiocese matches a 1% voluntary superannuation contribution made by teachers.
School support staff
The Union is still finalising the details of the transition of support staff to a new classification structure but we will ensure no staff are disadvantaged.
Early learning centre staff
The Archdiocese has consistently refused to include teachers and other early learning centre staff in the new EA.
This has been opposed by the Union. However we will absolutely ensure that new arrangements for early learning centre staff maintain parity in rates of pay with schools for teachers and support staff.
We will also ensure that staff are not disadvantaged by any changes in conditions.