Independent bargaining round up: Members step up across the sector
*FROM THE POINT, DETAILS UPDATED 3 JUNE*
From improvements to paid parental leave to authorised protected industrial action, it’s all happening in our fastest growing sector.
Approved - Victoria
The Presbyterian Ladies College Teachers Agreement was approved by the FWC following a ‘Yes’ vote.
It includes improvements to paid parental leave and partner leave, personal leave, camp allowance and time-in-lieu, a one-hour weekly meeting cap, and yard duty limits. Face-to-face teaching is capped at 18 hours per week (secondary) and 19 hours (primary), with staff able to leave the workplace when not rostered for duties.
The salary outcome is 11.25% over three years.
The Presbyterian Ladies College General Staff Agreement was also strongly endorsed, delivering the same salary and parental leave improvements as teachers, the right to work from home where operationally possible, and five weeks’ annual leave plus five ex-gratia days.
Bialik College’s new Agreement delivers a salary increase of 5% in 2026, followed by 4% in 2027 and 4% in 2028, while maintaining a 4% premium above VGSA rates.
ELC teaching loads will reduce to 25 hours/week, and class sizes are capped at 25, with a hard limit of 30 students.
Paid parental leave is now 16 weeks for under 3 years’ service or 20 weeks for more than 3 years’ service.
At the table - Victoria
The St Leonard’s College Agreement will soon go to a vote.
It includes personal leave being credited at year start, 18 weeks’ paid parental leave (primary carers) and 4 weeks for secondary carers, superannuation on both, and the extension of all parental leave to 52 weeks. Prenatal leave is set at 10 hours and 5 hours for partners. It also confirms 190 days of attendance, incorporates Right to Disconnect and Delegates’ Rights provisions, and increases camp allowances.
The salary offer was increased to 4% in 2026, 4% in 2027 and 4% in 2028, with wording agreed that teacher salaries do not fall behind VGSA.
The sub-branch is conducting a conscience vote, concerned by the significantly reduced teacher salary premium and lack of direct salary increases for PSS staff.
Members at NECA Education and Careers are preparing for bargaining, following a first Agreement three years ago that involved landmark protected industrial action.
Camberwell Girls’ School is seeking to wind back parental leave, compassionate leave and delegate rights, which members will strongly oppose.
Cheshire School members are pursuing their first Enterprise Agreement after they recruited a supermajority of staff, with agreement to align salary increases with VGSA. Members are seeking 15 days’ personal leave, three days’ paid compassionate leave, long service leave accruing at 1.3 weeks per year, and enhanced parental leave.
Members are pursuing a majority support determination petition after concerns emerged about the transparency of new classifications.
At Overnewton College, the employer is yet to respond to claims. Negotiations will focus on Education Support Staff classification structures and allowances.
Bargaining is underway at Prace College for its first Enterprise Agreement, with the employer agreeing to minor claims but not to matters including non-term time arrangements for Education Support Staff.
After negotiations reached an impasse at Lauriston Girls’ Grammar School (see page 3) members were granted a Protected Action Ballot Order and they authorised protected industrial action, including bans on co-curricular duties, student reports (except VCE grades), and meetings.
The revised offer is a 13% wage increase over four years and an increase in primary carer parental leave to 18 weeks, but with no change to superannuation during unpaid leave. Members are now considering further action.
Northside Christian College has cancelled bargaining meetings due to changes in personnel and has been reluctant to agree to claims typically resolved early in bargaining.
Members at Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar are focused on transferring key entitlements from policy into the Agreement.
St Catherine’s School members are drafting a Log of Claims focused on securing competitive salaries and workload reductions.
Following an initial ‘No’ vote, Aitken College members approved their proposed Agreement, with a 17.25% salary increase over four years. However, the employer has not committed to maintaining parity with VGSA.
Negotiations for Fernbrook School’s first Agreement are progressing. While the salary offer is below VGSA rates, it marks a significant step forward for an Award-based school.
Other conditions include class size restrictions, and a 190-day working year. Further work is required on General Staff salaries, parental leave, and personal leave.
The Billanook bargaining team are seeking salary increases aligned with the in-principle deal in state schools and a reduction in the school year to 190 days.
At Beaconhills College, members are seeking a single Agreement covering all staff, but the employer is proposing separate Agreements.
Eltham College has agreed, in principle, to parental leave improvements, including 10 hours’ paid prenatal leave, recognition of parental leave as service, and eligibility for a further 30 weeks’ leave, but no reduction to scheduled class time. A salary offer is expected shortly.
At East Preston Islamic College, members have rejected a 2.5% pay increase and want Education Support Staff salaries adjusted to at least current government sector rates before any percentage increase, and protection of existing annual leave arrangements.
Geelong College has revised its salary offer to 4% per annum over three years, and improved camp allowances.
Discussions are underway on a MOU to formalise commitments on fortnightly pay and co-curricular requirements.
At Geelong Grammar School members have presented their Log of Claims with the employer presenting its proposals in June.
Cornish College is maintaining its salary offer of 10.15% over the life of the Agreement and rejecting IEU proposals, including a VGSA-linked parity clause and front-loaded increases. A 1.25% raise was paid in April while bargaining continued.
Agreed are extra close-down days for General Staff and, in-principle, a $200 per night camp allowance and removal of the 10-night cap. There are proposed improvements to parental and compassionate leave, and personal leave flexibility.
Key issues unresolved include phasing out extras, enforceable workload protections, and the right for teachers to leave when not rostered for duties.
Members at Freshwater Creek Steiner School have agreed to defer formal bargaining until Term 4, after signing a MOU for a 2.5% salary increase.
Bargaining at Gippsland Grammar continues following a ‘No’ vote on a proposed Agreement that included an 11% salary increase over three years.
Agreement has been reached on limits to meetings, and 10 days’ paid volunteer emergency services leave. Primary teachers will be repaid within two weeks for lost preparation time caused by covering absent colleagues.
Camp and study tour allowances have been improved. Discussions continue on Education Support Staff salaries, scheduled class time definitions, and the inclusion of ELC employees in the Agreement.
Bargaining has commenced at Girton Grammar School, where members seek a salary premium of 2% above VGSA rates, alongside workload reductions and improved conditions.
Members at CIRE Community School pursuing their first Agreement have won interim improvements, including on salary and personal leave provisions. Concerns remain about conditions being in policy rather than the Agreement.
The employer has agreed to conduct a staff ballot and then commence bargaining.
At both Knox Grammar and Tintern Grammar, staff are claiming 23% salary increases over three years, the right to leave when not rostered for duties, increased camp payments of $200 per night, 20 weeks’ paid parental leave, expanded access to personal leave, and payment for co-curricular duties.
At Trinity Grammar School, an initial Log of Claims endorsed a 28% salary increase over four years, payment for co-curricular duties, the right to leave when not rostered for duties, automatic progression to levels 11 and 12 on the teachers’ scale, increased camp payments of $200, 20 weeks’ paid parental leave, and broader personal leave access.
Approved – Tasmania
The FWC has approved both the Teachers Agreement and General Staff Agreement for Christian Schools Tasmania.
The Teachers Agreement includes a reinstated consultative committee clause, a salary comparison clause linked to DECYP, guaranteed 3.5% increase over the life of the Agreement, improved salary progression for part-time, and an increased camp allowance.
The General Staff Agreement improves the classification structure through two additional salary steps at each level and a formal definition of a Grade 3 CSS employee.
At the table - Tasmania
The proposed Seventh-day Adventist Teachers Agreement is expected to proceed to the access period and staff vote shortly.
Salary outcomes include increases of 3.5% in 2026, 4.5% in 2027, 4% in 2028 and 3.5% in 2029, with backpay to 15 January.
Key improvements include delegates’ rights provisions, inclusion of both tithed and untithed salary scales, an $80 per night camp allowance, 15 days’ personal leave, and two days’ paid ATSI leave. Teaching loads are capped at 21 hours per week (primary) and 19 hours (secondary), with a maximum of 195 attendance days. A consultative committee will also be trialled.
Bargaining continues at Tarremah Steiner School, with members seeking improvements to salaries, parental leave, personal leave, family and domestic violence leave, overnight responsibility allowances and reproductive leave. Progress has been made on strengthened redundancy provisions, clearer probationary employment wording, updated superannuation provisions, and improved extra responsibility allowance structures. Members have secured a 3% salary increase and stronger wording aimed at maintaining parity with government sector outcomes.
Members are developing a Log of Claims for the Hutchins School General Staff Agreement, seeking to align key improvements from the Teachers Agreement. Members are refining their Log of Claims for the Fahan School Teachers and General Staff Agreements.