The IEU is urging all staff in Victorian Catholic education to sign a statement of support for its Single Interest Authorisation (SIA) application — a crucial step to secure fair bargaining for pay rises and urgent workplace improvements.

Here are the simple facts:

Employers are denying staff fundamental industrial rights.
The SIA can deliver those rights.
We need these rights to win the pay and conditions improvements we deserve.

An SIA provides access to good faith bargaining orders and protected industrial action. Your employers could have extended you these basic rights by applying for an SIA themselves, but they refused, delaying the bargaining process. These are basic employee rights that are granted to most workers in Australia, including our colleagues in Catholic education interstate. They are recognised in international law and in the teachings of the Catholic Church.

We need all staff in Victorian Catholic education to sign a statement of support for an SIA and to talk to colleagues about what’s at stake and why they should sign too!

Read up, sign up, and spread the word!

Add your name – every signature counts! Sign to support fair bargaining!

SIA explained

The SIA process

To win a Single Interest Authorisation, we must provide evidence that a majority of employees support Single Interest bargaining, at every employer for whom we apply. 

This means that we’ll be collecting Statements of Support from staff across the 36 different Victorian Catholic employers in Term 4. If a majority of staff working for each employer sign, the Fair Work Commission can grant an SIA covering that employer, enabling negotiations to commence on a level playing field.

That makes your signature important, and your support for others to sign invaluable.

✅ Everyone at your school can sign, not just union members, and everyone should!

✅ Employers won’t see who signs: the list will be provided only to the Fair Work Commission.

IEU Deputy General Secretary David Brear says: “Employers want to begin bargaining without an SIA. That means employees would be negotiating with one hand tied behind their back, without the essential tools workers need to have real influence at the table.

”We’re asking all staff to sign so that, together, we can secure the fair Agreement Catholic education workers need and deserve.”

Signing the statement

Employees can provide their Statement of Support on paper or online at ieu.news/sos

If signing on paper, a union Rep, Organiser or nominated colleague will collect and submit signatures to the union, which will lodge them with the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

Be sure your Statement is filled out correctly with your name, role, phone, email, signature and date. Double-check it’s complete and legible – employers may try to challenge unclear details.

Remember: the signed supporter list goes to the FWC, not employers.

When signing, you’ll receive an official information sheet. Refer to it if you have any questions.

Why bargaining rights matter

The right to take protected industrial action

NSW Catholic and Government school staff recently won big salary increases after taking industrial action. Without it, bargaining drags. With it, negotiations move.

The right to assistance from the Fair Work Commission

When unions can’t seek Good Faith Bargaining Orders from the FWC, employers can delay and stall negotiations. This has been a huge problem in previous negotiations.

What’s at stake in bargaining?

Pay rises are a must

Up front, the IEU’s Log of Claims demands “a significant wage boost across all staff groups in Victorian Catholic schools”.

By the end of 2025, teachers at the top of the scale in NSW will earn nearly 10% more than their Victorian counterparts, while the difference for graduate teachers will be over 13%.

The situation for Education Support staff is harder to measure due to different classification systems, but their pay rates also require urgent attention.

Pay is now central to staff welfare, recruitment, and retention for all educators.

The IEU Log of Claims addresses this, calling for pay increases of 37% over three years.

Workload and safety

While pay rises remain the major priority for Victorian Catholic school staff, staff welfare is just as urgent an issue. After months of consultation with thousands of IEU members, it is clear that addressing workload stress and safety concerns are just as urgent needs.

That is why the IEU Log of Claims is so comprehensive, with 101 claims covering every cohort in the sector. Member feedback shaped the document, meaning there are important claims covering improved leave provisions, improved classification structures for ESS and SSOs, progression incentives for deputy principals, and eight specific measures designed to improve staff safety.

Sign the Statement of Support now!

The bottom line - why to sign

Signing the Statement of Support creates a level playing field for negotiations, ensuring all staff concerns are considered properly and not paid lip service. With access to the ‘umpire’ of the Fair Work Commission and the prospect of industrial action, staff have the leverage they need to argue the case for improved pay and conditions.