IEU members step up at Lauriston

IEU members at Lauriston Girl’s School have taken unprecedented stop work action as part of their campaign for pay rises in a new Agreement.

Members wearing IEU black, green and blue and carrying witty placards gathered outside the school gates on Thursday afternoon, 21 May, to make their feelings known.

Rep Emily Biernacki said that after 15 months of negotiations, the wages offered do not keep pace with inflation, do not include back pay and would leave staff with conditions “that are getting worse, not better”.

But she said the real reason so many dedicated educators downed tools was not about money. It was about respect.

“We love our students and we teach our girls to demand equality, to stand up for themselves, to know their worth.

“But the school tells us that, somehow, we do not deserve the same.

“How can we teach young women to become leaders while we are underpaid and undervalued ourselves? That is the contradiction we are living with.”

Lauriston is currently offering a 12.48 per cent increase over three years. Teachers in the public sector will receive a 13 per cent increase by October alone, with further increases after that.

Early in 2026, teachers rejected the school’s offer of a 9 per cent pay increase over three years, with 170 staff voting against the proposed agreement and 30 supporting it.

IEU membership at the prestigious Armadale school has more than doubled over the course of the campaign.

Media coverage

In April and May, mainstream media outlets reported extensively on the campaign, readers fascinated by the spectacle of a monied establishment, which has just lavished expenditure on new facilities like tennis courts, denying its staff pay increases that match the projected public sector outcome.

The Herald Sun noted that despite Lauriston fees being $50,752 for domestic students in year 12, staff had been banned from printing in colour and the school had spent $15,000 on cakes celebrating its 125th birthday.

Parent response

A Lauriston parent, commenting on one of the stories said, “we are deeply disappointed that the situation has escalated to the point where teachers feel compelled to take strike action”.

“We have seen firsthand the extraordinary commitment and professionalism of Lauriston’s teaching staff; Year 12 teachers making themselves available on weekends, offering additional support before school, and consistently responding to parent enquiries outside standard hours.

“These are not ordinary expectations; they reflect a level of dedication that goes above and beyond. Lauriston is fortunate to have such exceptional educators, and it is unacceptable that they have been placed in a position where industrial action is their only viable option.

“Lauriston must take responsibility, address its staff concerns meaningfully, and work towards a fair resolution that properly recognises the value of its teachers.”

Lauriston can do better

Emily said staff stood together because “we believe Lauriston can do better. We believe this school can value its staff properly”.

“None of us came into teaching for fancy buildings, expensive open days or glossy marketing. Schools are not built on that. Schools are built by the people who work every day to create meaningful learning experiences for students.

“That is what makes our school community.

“Our best teachers can earn the same salary in the public system, often with better conditions and greater job security. What happens then? Lauriston loses talented staff. We lose experience, continuity and institutional knowledge.

“Since the last agreement in 2023, the cost of living has risen dramatically. Rent, mortgages, groceries and power bills have all increased, while our wages have fallen behind.

“If something does not change soon, fewer people will choose teaching and fewer will stay.

“We are not asking for more than public school teachers. We are asking to keep pace with inflation and maintain a fair standard of living.

“We want to focus our energy on teaching our students, not worrying about whether we can pay our bills.

“We deserve fair pay, fair conditions and the respect that comes with being professionals.

“We are here to make sure our voices are heard, and we are not going away.”

Emily’s proud mum Wiesia, supporting the action, summed up the day: “There are times when you’ve got to step up”.