IEU petition calls on Catholic employers to respect staff rights
Our petition is gather steam - thousands have called on employers in Victorian Catholic education to do the right thing and drop their stubborn attempts to deny their staff basic bargaining rights. Together, we can demonstrate how determined we are that negotiations for a new Agreement take place on a level playing field.
Employers continue to refuse to apply for a Single Interest Authorisation (SIA), and by doing so denying their own staff key industrial rights that are standard in other sectors, including Catholic schools interstate.
The IEU petition urges Catholic employers to stop delaying, respect staff rights, and apply for an SIA now. Members across the state are backing the campaign and sending a clear message: fair bargaining is their right.
The push for an SIA follows the Victorian Catholic Education Authority’s (VCEA) continued insistence on a so-called “cooperative” bargaining process – an approach that keeps control in the hands of employers while restricting employee rights.
On 12 June, IEU leaders met with VCEA Board Chair James Merlino, reminding him that a SIA would grant the union legal access to protected industrial action and allow the IEU to seek assistance or Good Faith Bargaining Orders from the Fair Work Commission if negotiations falter. This would create a more transparent and fair bargaining process – essential for reaching a timely and equitable agreement.
On 13 June, the VCEA again rejected this proposal, claiming that the union’s approach would delay bargaining. However, members know from past experience that delays have stemmed from dysfunction and a lack of unity among employers – not the IEU. Previous bargaining rounds dragged on for months, even years, while staff were unable to campaign effectively for improvements.
Employers are also aware that if bargaining begins under their preferred model, the IEU may lose the chance to apply for an SIA for some time, effectively locking staff out of protected action during crucial stages of negotiation.
While the IEU can apply for an SIA, this will require a lengthy process of demonstrating majority staff support across over 30 employers and we cannot finalise the process until after the expiry of our current Agreement at the end of 2025. On the other hand, Catholic employers could commence a very simple application process now, enabling meaningful negotiations on a new Agreement to start next term.
Their stance is a clear attempt to stall progress on pressing issues like pay – which now lags up to 10% behind other states – workloads, and staff wellbeing. These concerns were passionately described by thousands of members in the union’s recent survey.
This refusal to adopt a fairer bargaining framework undermines not only workers’ rights but also fundamental Catholic values of dignity, equity and justice. When Catholic staff in Victoria previously joined large-scale industrial action alongside government school workers, employers responded with legal threats, injunctions, and attempts to intimidate union members.
Without an SIA, staff lack the ability to access legal protections that ensure fair and timely negotiations. Even small acts of protest, like wearing campaign badges, could expose individuals to punitive measures under the current system.
The IEU does not intend to call unnecessary industrial action – but without the right to take it if needed, workers are left negotiating with one hand tied behind their backs. Catholic employers must stop blocking progress and allow staff the bargaining rights they deserve.
