In 2024, the IEU recouped $2.3 million in underpayments for members
The newspaper of the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch (vol 45 #3) May 2025 PP 100000871 ISSN No: 0728-4845
Catholic systemic schools
Making progress on new enterprise agreements Carol Matthews Secretary The IEU has been bargaining since October 2024 for new enterprise agreements (EAs) applying to teachers and general employees in the 10 NSW and ACT Catholic dioceses. Catholic Schools Parramatta Dioceses (CSPD) is bargaining with the other employers but for a separate EA that the union expects will generally reflect the main EA. Broken Bay has its own EA and Work Practices Agreement (WPA) finalised in 2024. As at the time of writing, there are still key issues outstanding. The IEU hopes to be able to resolve those, but we have not done so yet. Pay increases for NSW employees For teachers and support staff employed in NSW Catholic schools, dioceses have agreed to match pay rises received by teachers and support staff employed in NSW government schools: • NSW teachers: 3% pay rise in each of October 2024, October 2025 and October 2026 • NSW support staff: 4% pay rise backdated to July 2024; 3% pay rise in each of July 2025 and July 2026 with a possible additional increase described as a COLA (a one-off payment or cost of living allowance) in the second and third year if the Sydney Consumer Price Index exceeds a particular rate. Pay increases for ACT employees ACT teachers: The current EA provides rates in line with those applying to teachers in ACT government schools, although the increases are scheduled slightly differently. The EA contains an increase of about 3% in August 2025. Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn has asked the IEU to agree now to increases for teachers in 2026 and 2027. We have not agreed to this because we are concerned these increases may be lower than those that may be negotiated next year for teachers in ACT Government schools.
ACT support staff: In line with current practice, Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn Is offering the same pay rises as have been offered for support staff in NSW Catholic schools. Reducing workloads The IEU Council (comprising 130 members) has identified key workload pressures for teachers: • out-of-hours work (both scheduled events and professional duties related to classroom teaching) • diverse student needs • data collection and compliance • meetings and professional development • extras in secondary schools • class sizes. IEU officers continue to meet directly with dioceses to discuss how these workload pressures can be addressed. Matching workload measures in NSW government schools The IEU has also sought to match workload improvements for teachers equivalent to the 2024 NSW government school settlement. The union is seeking that: • briefings (and any other before and/or after school meetings) should be included within the 10 hours of meetings per term; and • at least 50 per cent of the time of eight pupilfree days provided from 2025 to 2027 are to be teacher directed (that is, used by teachers for their own planning or collaborative planning or preparation, as a form of additional release). Despite extensive negotiations, the IEU has not received a satisfactory response to these claims. Your union will be raising these matters directly with chapters in schools and asking members to show support for our claims. We are stronger together.
Union claims and employer responses IEU key claims
Bargaining outcome
Pay increases: No less than the increases applying to employees in NSW and ACT government schools.
Agreed, except negotiations are continuing for ACT teachers
Release: An additional two hours release from face-to-face teaching for teachers and additional release for teachers who hold coordinator and leadership positions
Rejected: The IEU is still pressing for increased release by direct discussions with dioceses but we acknowledge there has been no equivalent reduction in face-to-face teaching hours in government schools.
Improved parental leave, including: • superannuation on paid parental leave (that is, leave paid by the employer) • the partner to be able to take paid parental leave within two years of birth rather than 12 months • Catholic Education Canberra & Goulburn’s more generous parental leave policy (up to 24 weeks of paid maternity leave) to be included in EA Other claims Improved long service leave and personal/ carer’s leave for general employees
• Agreed • Agreed • CE Canberra & Goulburn has not agreed to include the policy in the EA
Rejected
Strengthened email clauses to reflect the new right to disconnect
Under discussion
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and ceremonial leave
Agreed in principle
Delegates’ rights clause in EA
Agreed in principle
Measures to reduce workload
Discussions are taking place directly with dioceses
NSW Christian schools: Moving forward on new agreements More than 17 months after previous multi-enterprise agreements (MEAs) for Christian schools in NSW expired, the IEU is still pushing for fairer pay and improved working conditions for teachers and support staff in the 40 schools represented by Christian Schools Australia (CSA). Fighting for fair pay for teachers Bargaining was suspended in 2024 after CSA made an inadequate offer for teachers’ pay – an offer that fell considerably behind the unprecedented pay increases awarded to teachers in government and Catholic schools in October 2023. IEU members in Christian schools demanded fair pay. Since bargaining resumed in 2025, the union has secured some movement towards fairer pay for teachers.
With a proposed expiry date of 31 March 2027 for the new MEA, the proposed teacher salary increases are: • February 2024: 7% • October 2024: 4% • October 2025: 3.5% • October 2026: 1.5% • February 2027: 1.5% In addition to the 17.5% pay increases, the IEU successfully secured a commitment from CSA for staff to transition from the current 13-step pay scale to a more streamlined 7-step classification structure from 1 July 2026. This will bring them in line with NSW government schools and enable teachers to reach the top of the scale faster. Alongside
this change, pay rates will be adjusted to ensure ongoing competitiveness with other education sectors. Wage justice for support staff The union has also made progress for a new support staff MEA. An in-principle agreement has been reached with pay increases of: • February 2024: 4% • February 2025: 4% • February 2026: 4%
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