Employers' “cooperative” approach would leave staff powerless
Staff in Victorian Catholic schools recently received a seemingly harmless email from their employers about bargaining arrangements for upcoming Agreement negotiations.
What employers didn’t say is that they’ve unilaterally chosen the so-called “cooperative” bargaining stream, denying staff the rights available under a Single Interest Authorisation (SIA) – including the right to protected industrial action and Good Faith Bargaining Orders.
It means staff will be asked to negotiate urgently-needed improvements to salaries and conditions without recourse to the industrial powers and protections that are granted to our colleagues in Catholic and government education around the country.
The IEU has twice asked employers to apply for an SIA through the Fair Work Commission. Had they agreed, bargaining could be underway shortly – with both parties on an equal footing.
The employers know that the union can’t apply for an SIA until the existing Agreement expires on 31 December 2025 – and that if we engage in negotiations now, we risk delaying this until well into 2026.
While the employers claim to want a swift process, their real goal is clear: to lock in a deal while staff are least empowered to fight for a fair outcome.
The IEU won’t stand for that.
We’ve just completed a thorough member consultation process and are now finalising our Draft Log of Claims for member feedback.
As General Secretary David Brear says in the embedded video: “We will not negotiate with one hand tied behind our backs”.
We will continue keeping members informed ̶ about both our claims and the employers’ tactics, and remain advised by their past behaviour in bargaining: endless delays and dysfunction.
What next for Catholic school staff?
If you received the employer’s email about starting negotiations, you don’t need to respond – as an IEU member, you are automatically represented.
Following months of consultation, the IEU’s Draft Log of Claims will shortly be circulated to sub-branches for feedback. Once it is officially endorsed at a special meeting of Reps later this term, we’ll be ready to fight for an Agreement that brings long-overdue pay rises, improved workloads, and better conditions to hard-working members.
But make no mistake: by refusing to bargain under an SIA, employers are actively trying to weaken our position. The quickest path to a fair Agreement is for employers to apply for an SIA now, enabling proper negotiations before the current Agreement expires.
There are three pathways from here:
The IEU remains committed to reaching a fair settlement as soon as possible – but not at the cost of surrendering basic bargaining rights.