‘We’d strike if we could’: IEU members support AEU industrial action
Over 30,000 public school union members have stopped work for the first time in 13 years, their immense turnout in Melbourne reminding IEU members in Catholic schools of the fundamental rights being denied to them.
Over 30,000 Australian Education Union (AEU) members rallied at Victorian Trades Hall and marched to Victorian Parliament over the Allan Government’s “failure to properly address uncompetitive wages and excessive workloads”.
IEU members could not legally stop work to join the AEU rally, but they did everything they could to show support, with scores of sub-branches donning the IEU’s black or the AEU’s red at morning teas and other solidarity actions.
Geelong based Catholic schools collectively set up a fund to buy coffees for AEU members to redeem on their way into the strike, raising over $1300! Members at FCJ College Benalla wore black and also set up a coffee fund, purchasing over 40 coffee cards for their colleagues at Benalla P–12 College.
All major media outlets reported the IEU’s position, with the Herald Sun reporting the following:
“Negotiations between the Independent Education Union and employers in pursuit of a new agreement have soured, with the union accusing bosses of “silencing” teachers.
Victorian Catholic school teachers last took unprotected industrial action in 2012 and 2013, resulting in employers taking out an injunction against the union and threatening members with fines.”
The AEU action is significant not only because the state sector helps set the benchmark for other sectors, but also because it highlights the IEU’s need for a single interest authorisation in Victorian Catholic bargaining to have the same right to industrial action.
IEU General Secretary David Brear says the IEU “fully backs” the AEU’s campaign for fair pay and urgent improvements to workload and staff wellbeing:
“Salaries in Victorian education have fallen significantly below those in other states and students in every school in the state deserve to be educated and supported by staff whose work is properly valued, and who have the time and resources to do their jobs properly.
“The IEU is negotiating a new deal for staff in Catholic schools, but employers – unlike those in every other state and territory – are doing everything they can to deny them a voice and prevent them from accessing basic bargaining rights.
“As a result, employees in Victorian Catholic education are legally barred from participating in the kind of industrial action that government school staff are taking.
“We are pursuing a major case in the Fair Work Commission to win these basic rights, and our members across the state are furious that their employers are still fighting this and still trying to silence them.
“Nobody takes strike action lightly, but the bargaining deadlock has left AEU members with little choice. Our members stand in solidarity with this strike, and we again call on our own employers to lift the completely unjustifiable restrictions on industrial action in our sector.”
From Leongatha to the Vatican
Showing that the action is not confined to central Melbourne, The South Gippsland Sentinel-Times is reporting that a group of staff at St Laurence O'Toole Primary School “plan to write to Pope Leo XIV requesting Catholic teachers be granted the right to take industrial action”.
“Music teacher Brett Whittle who is spearheading the push said a majority of the school's staff supported the move.
"It's quite atrocious," Mr Whittle said.
"How can you lose the right to strike? I don't really understand. You'd think it would be a fundamental right here in Australia.
"I know amongst the staff there's a lot of feeling that we want to go out, we want to do something. Why can't we? This is crazy."
AEU claims
The AEU says by October 2026, experienced teachers in public schools will be earning as much as $15,359 a year ($295 per week) less than their NSW counterparts. A classroom-based education support employee starting out would be 10.5% behind, and a Victorian school principal new to the role would start $27,841 or 18% behind a similar principal in NSW.
Victorian Branch President Justin Mullaly says Victorian public schools have a serious workforce shortage because “excessive workloads and uncompetitive pay are driving experienced staff out of the profession and making it difficult to attract the next generation”.
“Victorian teachers, principals and support staff would much rather be in the classroom teaching Victorian students today, but because of the disrespect from the Allan Government, they are having to stop work for 24 hours,” Mr Mullaly said.
The rally
AEU members from as far afield as Warrnambool and Mildura caught buses to attend the rally, which spread over several blocks surrounding Trades Hall. Mobile screens on trucks were required to accommodate the huge gathering. They showed union officials and ACTU Secretary Sally McManus address the enthusiastic, red-clad crowd.
Announcers alerted the crowd to schools where huge numbers of staff members were attending, and smaller schools where only one staff member was left at work because all the union members had gone to the rally.
The event was tightly organised despite the potential for chaos with so many people to marshal.
“This is what solidarity looks like,” Mullaly cried, to a storm of applause.
“Have a look at the strength around you. Just being here says we’re organised and united."
He said education staff didn’t take such action lightly and were aware of the impact of industrial action on students and families.
“We don’t do it because we want to, we do it because we have to.”
Those are sentiments IEU members well understand, given the protracted negotiations they repeatedly endure. It’s why they are fighting for the right to be able to take such industrial action themselves.
IEU solidarity actions
Here are just a few of the schools where IEU members have shown their support::
Avalon Glen Waverley – morning recess tea
St Peter’s Cranbourne – solidarity morning tea (Wednesday)
St Peter’s Clyde North – solidarity sub-branch lunch (Wednesday)
St Francis de Sales Lynbrook – solidarity sub-branch lunch (Tuesday 31 March)
St Kevin’s Bulleen – recess sub-branch solidarity meeting
Holy Trinity Wantirna South – sub-branch recess meeting
Catholic Ladies’ College Eltham – day of solidarity (Friday 20 March)
St Clare’s Officer – members wearing red in solidarity
St Gabriel’s Traralgon – members wearing IEU black
Lavalla Catholic College, St Paul’s Campus – IEU colour-themed morning tea
Marist Sion College Warragul – wearing black and red (whole-school Mass day)
St Mary’s Maffra – sub-branch motion
St Thomas’ Sale – members wearing black
St Francis Xavier Berwick – members wearing red
St Laurence O’Toole Leongatha – draping school gates in black fabric and wearing black
Columba Catholic Primary School Bunyip – members wearing black
St Angela of the Cross Warragul – sub-branch motion
St Gerard’s Narre Warren – members wearing black
Trinity Catholic Primary School Narre Warren – wearing black with lanyards
St Paul the Apostle South Endeavour Hills – election of representative and lanyard photos (Monday)
St Joseph’s Ferntree Gully – sub-branch solidarity meeting (Monday)
St Leonard’s Glen Waverley – members wearing black (Thursday)
Holy Cross School, New Gisborne – members wearing black
Holy Rosary School, White Hills – members wearing black
Our Lady of the Rosary School, Kyneton – members wearing black
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Elmore – members wearing black
St Joseph’s School, Rochester – members wearing black
St Mary’s School, Inglewood – members wearing black (morning tea)
St Mary’s School, Echuca – members wearing black (morning tea)
St Mary’s School, Mansfield – members wearing black
St Peter’s School, Bendigo North – members wearing black
Catherine McAuley College Bendigo – Coolock, Junortoun – members wearing black
Catherine McAuley College Bendigo – St Mary’s, Bendigo – members wearing black with IEU buttons (morning tea and donations for Coffee for AEU staff striking)
FCJ College, Benalla – members wearing black
Notre Dame College, Shepparton – members wearing black
Sacred Heart College, Kyneton – members wearing black
St Joseph’s College – Kildare Campus, Echuca – members wearing black
St Mary’s College, Seymour – members wearing black
St Mary of the Angels College, Nathalia – members wearing black
Many CRT members declined casual work in government schools on the day of the strike and joined the rally.
Members on leave from schools and retired members also joined the rally, showing their support for fair wages for the teaching profession in Victoria.