news month
The newspaper of the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch (vol 43 #4) June 2023 PP 100000871 ISSN No: 0728-4845
The facts about NESA compliance:
ARE YOU STILL DOING TOO MUCH?
SUPPORT STAFF PAY RISE Support staff at St Francis Xavier Hamilton proudly wear their stickers which say: ‘we got a pay rise, ask me for a form and join our union’. Catholic systemic support staff have benefitted from pay rises because of the work of the union. The union only gains strength from its members.
IEU members in Catholic systemic schools have been advised of the interim settlement agreement. For support staff, the settlement delivers parity with government school employees and backpay. The door is also open for further discussion for teachers. This has been a long time coming – the best part of four years. Support staff in Catholic systemic school now have pay comparable to staff in government schools. It is appropriate to note the sterling work undertaken by the support staff joint working party. Their countless meetings comparing the work of Catholic systemic support staff with government school support staff is finally bearing fruit. Teacher workload Members in schools are feeling the brunt of the teacher shortage crisis. Class splitting, class sharing, and supervising multiple classes and large numbers of students in halls and
libraries, all remain realities of the teacher experience. The long rebuild has commenced. The IEU has met formally with the NSW Deputy Premier and Education Minister, Prue Car concerning both teacher salaries and teacher workload. The Deputy Premier will address the IEU’s June Council. Recently, NESA provided clarification on programming requirements and the manual related to school inspections. The IEU will meet with Catholic Schools NSW to discuss how best to ensure NESA developments lead to changes in professional practice. NESA requirements should be considered the seminal document and systemic overlays must be reviewed urgently to ensure teacher morale is lifted. Educational leaders should not be using NESA compliance as an excuse to load teachers with extra work. Teacher workload issues are manifold, but rest assured, the ongoing negotiation on behalf of teachers will focus on
workload and unsupported initiative will be challenged. Rebuilding the profession will take time but the future is looking brighter. Members of the Support Staff Working Party Carolyn Moore, IEU Industrial Officer Michael Wright, IEU Industrial Officer Kylie Booth- Martinez, Vice-President Support Staff, IEU Executive Carolyn Collins, former Vice-President Support Staff, IEU Executive Belinda McRae, IEU support staff member, ACT (Plus committee members from the employers)
Mark Northam Secretary For more details on the interim settlement agreement, see p3.
Teachers’ voices heard at NSW Parliament House The IEU was part of the Essential Workers Deserve Better parliamentary delegation welcomed into NSW Parliament on 24 May to meet with Ministers, MPs and MLCs. The IEU delegation comprised of President Tina Ruello, Deputy President Libby Lockwood, Secretary Mark Northam and Deputy Secretary Carol Matthews. Tina and Libby had unprecedented access to share their stories as essential workers with parliamentarians including Premier Chris Minns, Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car. The delegation also met with Stephen Bali MP, Bob Nanva MLC, Maryanne Stuart MP, Alex Greenwich MP, Phil Donato MP, Roy Butler
MP, Tara Moriaty MLC, and NSW Greens MPs Tamara Smith, Jenny Leong, and Kobi Shetty, as well as MLCs Abigail Boyd, Cate Faehrmann, Dr Amanda Cohn and Sue Higginson. Ruello was one of only two delegates to make an address to the group of gathered MPs at a lunchtime reception. “I am here with the IEU in this room with the newly elected government, sharing a meal, and this is epic. I am part of the solution because my voice is really being heard. I can only see this as a mutually beneficial relationship,” Ruello said. Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis welcomed the union delegation, commenting on the end of a “challenging
and devastating 12 years” which had seen the introduction of the public sector pay cap and changes to Workers Compensation laws. “My door as the new Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety Minister is open to all of you,” Cotsis said. “Don’t be afraid to tell your stories. We need to hear what’s happening on the ground,” she said. “I stand with you, and I want to see a collaboration between government, workers, and industry, and we want to make sure that in work, health and safety, we improve standards.” Lockwood told Bob Nanva MLC that the teacher shortage was crippling schools.
“Teachers are burnt out. Working over 60 hours a week, much of which is unpaid work after school. Release time isn’t enough. The admin burden is crippling,” Lockwood said. “In Western Sydney or remote areas like Mungindi, Walgett, Wee Waa, they cannot get teachers because the pay is not good enough – that’s what’s going to bring people into the profession and help retain them,” she said. Ruello said teachers were essential but not valued. “This is the professional insult that we have to deal with. “We are glad that you are in power because we know that change is on its Continued on p2