Our colleagues in Victorian government schools are fighting for similar improvements to salaries and conditions as IEU members in Victorian Catholic education. Victorian education salaries have now fallen far behind as a result of recent significant increases won by education unions around the country. 

The AEU’s negotiations with the state government have stalled after 8 months, with the latest pay offer leaving wages far behind the national standard.   

As a result, the AEU ran a Protected Action Ballot of members, which received 98% support – and so a 24-hour statewide stopwork (or strike) will take place on Tuesday 24 March. AEU members will rally at Victorian Trades Hall at 10.30am before marching to Parliament House. 

AEU members can take this action because they are negotiating with a single employer – the Victorian government. Employers in Victorian Catholic education are fighting to deny their staff the same rights, which is why the IEU is seeking a Single Interest Authorisation covering over 30 employers.  

Until this legal dispute is resolved, staff in Victorian Catholic education are denied the right to take protected industrial action.   

Learn more.

Currently, Victorian Catholic education staff are the only major cohort of education workers in the country who are not allowed to take protected industrial action in pursuit of a new Agreement improving their wages and conditions. This is because our employers (unlike their counterparts in every other state and territory) insist on a form of bargaining that undermines the rights of workers.   

This refusal by employers to engage in fair bargaining has led IEU members to campaign to win a Single Interest Authorisation, which would enable Victorian Catholic education staff to access the same bargaining rights as their colleagues.  

In Term 4 2025, a majority of staff signed Statements of Support for fair bargaining rights, but employers continue to put up roadblocks in the Fair Work Commission to prevent their staff accessing these rights. 

Learn more

In 2012 and 2013, IEU members in Victorian Catholic education took unprotected industrial action – as we had regularly done since the mid-90’s. For the first time, Catholic employers took a hardline approach, taking out an injunction against the IEU and threatening fines against the union and individual members.  

Learn more about the 2012/2013 campaign and the history of bargaining in our sector.  

We’ve put this question to the VCEA many times over the last 12 months – and have yet to receive a compelling answer.  

Fair bargaining between employers and empowered union members takes place constructively in every other major education sector around the country, yet our employers are determined to deny us the key tools that workers need to negotiate fair outcomes. This is out of step not only with Australian and international industrial standards, but also with key Catholic teachings on the dignity of labour and the rights of workers. 

It appears that the VCEA simply wants to maintain an unfair advantage at the bargaining table. It does not want staff to have access to bargaining rights that other workers take for granted. 

It’s vital that we show our support for striking AEU members, as we know that their campaign is absolutely critical to the outcomes we can win in our sector. That’s why we are calling on all sub-branches to find a way to express clear and visible support for the actions of AEU members on 24 March.  

Ideas for solidarity activities that have come from IEU Reps around the state: 

• Holding a sub-branch meeting and passing a motion or sending a message of support to local AEU members (see Take Action Now section for an example sub-branch motion) 

• Organise a “Wear it Black” day 

• Rallying outside the school gates before the start of the school day 

• Getting together for a photo of the sub-branch proudly sending a message to your employer 

• Hosting a special morning tea with a message 

• Getting together as a sub-branch and emailing employers to demand fair bargaining rights 

• Contributing to a ‘coffee fund’ at local cafes for AEU members who are giving up a day’s pay to go on strike. 

Taking unprotected industrial action could put individual members at risk, and could jeopardise case in the Fair Work Commission – so we need to ensure that sub-branch activities do not interfere with the usual work of your school, including by working differently to normal in a way that restricts or delays that work, stopping work, or not working altogether that day.  

Try outside of work hours or during break times for group activities. If in doubt, speak to your Organiser! 

You can wear a t-shirt or badge to work without risk of penalties, so long as you are complying with your workplace policies (including dress code policies) and any lawful and reasonable directions of your employer. Wearing a t-shirt or a badge is not in itself a form of industrial action. Industrial action includes working differently to normal in a way that restricts, limits or delays your work.

Yes! We encourage all IEU members who are not at work on 24 March to attend the rally. Their fight is our fight, and it’s vital that we show solidarity with them. Look for the IEU contingent and wear an IEU shirt if you have one! 

We encourage members to make some noise online – the IEU social media channels will have plenty of shareable content. Have some fun with it, but as always be careful not to post anything that would compromise you professionally or personally, including if it breaches your employer's social media policy. Remember that it is not local school leadership that is the problem here – it is the VCEA that is undermining your fundamental rights. Make sure you tag the @ieuvictas in anything you post!