Catholic school teachers chase 37 per cent pay rise
The pay row between teachers at the state's 493 Catholic schools and their employers is set to intensify in the coming weeks when the main workplace union, the Independent Education Union (IEU), lodges a pay claim worth 37 per cent over three years.
The teachers, who say they are paid up to 13 per cent less than their interstate counterparts, also want a $5000 sign-on bonus for each educator, regular retention bonuses worth 5 per cent of their wage and a 17 per cent superannuation contribution.
The present workplace deals expire in December, but the two sides cannot even agree on the basis for negotiations, with the employers' umbrella group, the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA), insisting that the 34 separate church-linked entities that run schools in the state bargain separately with their individual workforces.
The teachers want a single sector-wide bargaining process, which would grant them the right to strike, but the authority says the union's pursuit of 'single-interest bargaining' is preventing wage talks from getting under way.
If no resolution can be reached, the union says it will ask the Fair Work Commission to impose a sector-wide bargaining model on the employers, a move that would set the scene for school strikes in 2026 if a wage deal is not struck.
A group of union members representing 200 principals took aim at the authority this week, accusing it of intransigence, stubbornness and a disrespect for the teaching workforce.
In a statement, the union's principals council said the authority's position, which it maintained during past bargaining rounds, denied Catholic teachers their basic industrial and democratic rights.
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The Age
5 days ago
- The Age
Catholic school teachers chase 37 per cent pay rise
Hundreds of Victorian Catholic school principals are in open revolt against church education authorities over their approach to pay talks with the sector's 30,000 teachers. The pay row between teachers at the state's 493 Catholic schools and their employers is set to intensify in the coming weeks when the main workplace union, the Independent Education Union (IEU), lodges a pay claim worth 37 per cent over three years. The teachers, who say they are paid up to 13 per cent less than their interstate counterparts, also want a $5000 sign-on bonus for each educator, regular retention bonuses worth 5 per cent of their wage and a 17 per cent superannuation contribution. The present workplace deals expire in December, but the two sides cannot even agree on the basis for negotiations, with the employers' umbrella group, the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA), insisting that the 34 separate church-linked entities that run schools in the state bargain separately with their individual workforces. The teachers want a single sector-wide bargaining process, which would grant them the right to strike, but the authority says the union's pursuit of 'single-interest bargaining' is preventing wage talks from getting under way. If no resolution can be reached, the union says it will ask the Fair Work Commission to impose a sector-wide bargaining model on the employers, a move that would set the scene for school strikes in 2026 if a wage deal is not struck. A group of union members representing 200 principals took aim at the authority this week, accusing it of intransigence, stubbornness and a disrespect for the teaching workforce. In a statement, the union's principals council said the authority's position, which it maintained during past bargaining rounds, denied Catholic teachers their basic industrial and democratic rights.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Catholic school teachers chase 37 per cent pay rise
Hundreds of Victorian Catholic school principals are in open revolt against church education authorities over their approach to pay talks with the sector's 30,000 teachers. The pay row between teachers at the state's 493 Catholic schools and their employers is set to intensify in the coming weeks when the main workplace union, the Independent Education Union (IEU), lodges a pay claim worth 37 per cent over three years. The teachers, who say they are paid up to 13 per cent less than their interstate counterparts, also want a $5000 sign-on bonus for each educator, regular retention bonuses worth 5 per cent of their wage and a 17 per cent superannuation contribution. The present workplace deals expire in December, but the two sides cannot even agree on the basis for negotiations, with the employers' umbrella group, the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA), insisting that the 34 separate church-linked entities that run schools in the state bargain separately with their individual workforces. The teachers want a single sector-wide bargaining process, which would grant them the right to strike, but the authority says the union's pursuit of 'single-interest bargaining' is preventing wage talks from getting under way. If no resolution can be reached, the union says it will ask the Fair Work Commission to impose a sector-wide bargaining model on the employers, a move that would set the scene for school strikes in 2026 if a wage deal is not struck. A group of union members representing 200 principals took aim at the authority this week, accusing it of intransigence, stubbornness and a disrespect for the teaching workforce. In a statement, the union's principals council said the authority's position, which it maintained during past bargaining rounds, denied Catholic teachers their basic industrial and democratic rights.
ABC News
6 days ago
- ABC News
Anthony Ireland installed as Archbishop of Hobart, with shift in style likely after Julian Porteous
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