IEU releases Log of Claims for Catholic school sector
The process of securing a new Agreement for staff in Victorian Catholic schools passed a significant milestone on Friday, with the IEU releasing its Log of Claims to members for feedback and suggested amendments.
After months of consultation - including a major survey with 70,000 words of comments and follow-up focus groups with specific member cohorts - union staff presented members with 99 claims covering issues ranging from pay and leave to the classification structures of Education Support staff.
The Log kicks off with the first item calling for salary increases of 17% in the first year, 10% in the second year, and 10% in the third year of the Agreement.
But the Log also proposes measures to refine time in lieu to make it work as intended; important specific claims for cohorts like Education Support Staff, Deputy Principals and Casual and Relief Teachers; and a push for personal leave to be increased to 152 paid hours (20 days) per year.
Responding to the overwhelming demand for greater measures to promote worker safety and wellbeing, there is an entire section of the Log dedicated to workload, sustainability and consultation.
Guiding principles
The union is seeking a single interest multi-enterprise Agreement that provides wages and conditions which:
Are fair, equitable, and represent best practice
Protect and improve existing conditions
Cover all employees in schools, Catholic diocesan and order-based offices under the current Agreements, the VCEA, and early learning settings
Ensure parity of wages and conditions with Victorian government schools as a minimum
Recognise the growing complexity of work in Catholic education and the essential role staff play in student success
Provide a level of support for all staff that makes their jobs sustainable, allowing them to balance work with other responsibilities and their personal lives.
In addition to analysing thousands of member submissions, the union also examined salary and conditions improvements won by colleagues in other states, as well as the claims the Australian Education Union is proposing in its negotiations with the Victorian government.
What happens next?
During Term 3, IEU members will have the opportunity to discuss the Log of Claims both informally and at events convened by union staff. Sub-branches can then either endorse the draft or propose amendments.
On 6 September, a specially convened Council of union Reps will meet to consider any amendments and endorse the final document to be submitted to employers.
Potential delay to negotiations
Employers are currently refusing to apply for a Single Interest Authorisation (SIA).
Without an SIA, staff are denied essential bargaining entitlements such as good faith bargaining orders and the right to take protected industrial action—making it less likely that formal negotiations can commence this year.
An SIA establishes a fair and balanced framework for negotiating improved wages and conditions. By withholding it, employers are attempting to lock in an agreement while staff have the least power to advocate for a fair outcome.
The IEU will not accept this.
If employers continue to block access to an SIA, the union will be forced in Term 4 to gather evidence—primarily through a petition—that a majority of staff support bargaining. This is required in order to apply for an SIA independently, which can only occur once the current Agreement expires on 31 December.
The IEU is prepared to mobilise like never before to ensure that staff in this major sector have the power they need to secure a fair bargaining outcome.
In the meantime, members are encouraged to review the Log of Claims carefully and provide their input on what they believe their employer needs to hear.
