2025 ENVIRONMENT GRANTS Bring your sustainability initiatives to life! The IEU and Teachers Mutual Bank are offering a minimum of six grants valued at up to $3000 each. See page 13 for details
The newspaper of the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch (vol 45 #6) August 2025 PP 100000871 ISSN No: 0728-4845
Catholic systemic schools Union locks in pay rises, better conditions Carol Matthews Secretary The IEU has been bargaining since October 2024 for new enterprise agreements (EAs) for teachers and general employees in 10 NSW and ACT Catholic dioceses. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) is joining the meetings with the other dioceses but will make a separate agreement based on the main EA. Broken Bay Diocese has its own EA and Work Practices Agreement (WPA), finalised in 2024. The EAs will be in force until 9 October 2027, in line with the NSW state award applying to teachers in government schools. The union has also commenced bargaining for EAs for principals employed in the 10 dioceses (not including Broken Bay). Voting on EAs is conducted by employers – all employees covered by an EA are entitled to vote. The IEU expects that the EAs for teachers and general employees will be voted on in September, with the vote on the Principals EAs (see page 2) likely to be shortly afterwards. Pay increases for NSW teachers Pay rises for NSW teachers will reflect the increases paid in NSW government schools: • 3% October 2024 (already paid) • 3% October 2025 • 3% October 2026. Pay increases for ACT teachers Pay rises for ACT teachers will be as follows: • about 3% August 2025 (increases to align with ACT government pay scale, but paid earlier, and in current EA) • 3.5% August 2026.
The increase for ACT teachers in 2027 will be the subject of further negotiations when the outcome for teachers in ACT Education Directorate schools is known, as the current EA for teachers in government schools does not expire until March 2026. Pay rises for NSW and ACT general employees These increases will match increases for support staff in NSW government schools: • 4% July 2024 (already paid) • 3% July 2025 (paid by some dioceses already, but otherwise will be back-dated and paid when the EA commences • 3% July 2026. The 2027 increase (expected from July that year) will be the subject of further negotiations in 2027. Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) The IEU has proposed a clause under “No Extra Claims” requiring parties to engage in discussions for a one-off, noncumulative COLA payment if the Consumer Price Index (CPI) exceeds 4.5% during the life of the agreement – in line with arrangements for teachers and general employees in NSW government schools. Employers are currently considering this proposal. Improved conditions The following improved conditions have been agreed: • Superannuation will be paid on parental leave paid by the employer (this is in addition to payment of super by the federal government from July 2025 on government-funded paid parental leave). • The non-initial primary caregiver (usually the father) will now be able to take parental leave to be the primary carer
of a newborn child within 24 months of birth, rather than the current time limit of 12 months from the date of birth. This will apply in relation to children born after the commencement of the EA. • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and ceremonial leave: employees identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander will be eligible to access up to three days paid leave each year for cultural and ceremonial purposes. Delegates’ rights, reflecting the new entitlements for union reps under the Fair Work Act, will also be included. Trade trainers Trade trainers have been included under the EA for the first time. A trade trainer is employed to teach vocational education and training at a school or trade skills centre, but is not a fully qualified school teacher. A trade trainer usually has a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and a relevant trade qualification. Next steps As soon as the drafting of the EA is finalised, dioceses will send out a copy of the EA and explanatory materials. A vote of employees covered by the EA will then be conducted by the employers. We expect that this will occur in September. We congratulate members for their strength in numbers that has led to pay rises and better conditions.
“We congratulate members for their strength in numbers that has led to pay rises and better conditions.” Union win: NextSense staff stand strong for great gains IEU members at NextSense School for children with hearing or vision loss have achieved a strong win, gaining pay rises and better conditions in a new agreement, with union membership doubling at the school during the campaign. The broader NextSense organisation, formerly known as the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, includes a preschool and primary school at Macquarie Park, as well as specialist
teachers across mainstream independent schools. NextSense also employs research staff and allied health practitioners. Since 2021, these employees have been covered by the NextSense enterprise agreement, while teachers and support staff in the organisation’s schools and preschools were covered by the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) NSW Multi-Enterprise agreements.
In 2024, the NextSense employer sought to integrate all education staff, including teachers and support staff, into the main enterprise agreement. If all education employees were incorporated into this agreement, IEU members would have lost the guarantee of pay and conditions commensurate with their colleagues in NSW government schools or the broader NSW nongovernment education sector.
Members take action The members met, formed a log of claims and elected a chapter committee. They focused on carrying across conditions from their previous AIS agreements, codifying workplace practices, and ensuring pay and other conditions kept pace with teachers and support staff in other sectors.
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