Watch now: Speeches from day 1 of our hearing for a Single Interest Authorisation
The IEU today began its application for a Single Interest Authorisation (SIA) before the Fair Work Commission, marking a significant milestone in the long-running campaign for fair bargaining rights for Victorian Catholic education staff.
IEU members and supporters gathered outside the Commission this morning, calling for a single, fair agreement covering staff across the sector.
Watch speeches from the steps of the Fair Work Commission below.
Kylie Busk, Deputy General Secretary
Alex Abela, Victorian Catholic Secondary Teacher and Deputy President of the IEU’s Committee of Management
“We’re here today because this is a fight we have to have,” said IEU Victoria Tasmania Deputy General Secretary Kylie Busk.
“Staff across Catholic education badly need a pay rise and improvements to conditions, and they need them now. But unlike workers in other sectors, they are still being denied fair access to bargaining rights.”
More than 20,000 staff, well over half the Catholic education workforce, have already signed statements supporting the move to single-interest bargaining, which provides the right to take protected industrial action and access good-faith bargaining orders from the Commission.
In the government sector, recent mass industrial action proved vital in breaking an impasse in bargaining for a new Agreement.
“All of those people understand that fair bargaining is essential to delivering fair outcomes,” Ms Busk said. “Without it, we will continue to see delays, frustration, and educators leaving Catholic education.”
IEU Victoria Tasmania Deputy President and Catholic secondary school teacher Alex Abela said access to single-interest bargaining is critical to restoring balance in negotiations.
“These are rights that workers in other Catholic and government schools already have,” Ms Abela said. “They are essential to achieving fair, timely outcomes and ensuring staff have a genuine voice at the table.”
The IEU criticised the timing of the employer proposal to staff, which was released on the eve of the hearing last Friday.
“Catholic education staff deserve real improvements to pay and conditions through a fair process, not last-minute offers that fall short,” Ms Busk said. “We will not settle for a second-rate outcome that risks driving staff out of the sector.”
There is scope for the Fair Work Commission hearing ito continue for up to ten days.
“We’ve had to fight to get to this point, and we’re not backing down,” Ms Busk said. “We are closer than ever to securing the fair bargaining rights Catholic education staff deserve.”
