Year in review, 2025: The IEU’s year in Tasmania
In 2025, Tasmanian IEU members turned collective action into wins: Catholic pay parity and workload relief, safer CET reporting, and visible equality advocacy.
Tasmanian Catholic Education Agreement
On 25 February, employees in Tasmanian Catholic schools overwhelmingly endorsed (96.6%) a new Agreement after a long, hard campaign. The deal (endorsed by the IEU and lodged with the Fair Work Commission for approval) locked in:
Low-income payments: a $1,000 payment in March 2025 for most school support staff and teachers at or below Level 4 (pro-rata for part-time).
Pay parity: ongoing salary alignment with government schools plus 3% in 2025.
Workload relief: primary teachers’ maximum face-to-face time reducing from 22 to 21 hours; secondary teachers’ non-teaching, face-to-face duties reduced from 5 to 4 hours from Semester 2.
Parental leave improvements: 18 weeks paid primary carer leave; 4 weeks paid partner leave; superannuation on the first year of maternity leave; 10 days’ paid foster carer leave.
Teacher progression: removal of pay-progression caps for teachers without full registration; four-year trained teachers commence at Level 5.
Job security and leave: redundancy pay schedule; 20 days paid family violence leave; 3 days’ paid cultural leave for First Nations employees; increased meal and first aid allowances.
No forced transfers between schools.
This result followed sustained pressure: information blitzes across 2023–24, a protected action ballot with over 80% support for every proposed action (six above 90%), targeted bans, and robust media and workplace campaigning. Members defeated retrograde proposals such as forced relocation of staff up to 65 km and won practical measures on workload and parity. Membership in Tasmanian Catholic schools rose 18% in 2024, strengthening the hand of workers at the table.
As General Secretary David Brear told members, ‘this win belongs to you,’ and the focus now is fair, consistent implementation across all schools.
Standing up for inclusion and the law
In February, the IEU condemned ‘destructive’ statements by Tasmanian Catholic leaders to the Inquiry into Discrimination and Bullying in Tasmanian Schools, including admissions that staff in same-sex relationships would be ‘precluded’ from applying for senior roles.
The union’s submission highlighted the harm caused by faith-based clauses and Statements of Faith in some non-government schools and urged stronger legislative enforcement. Equality Tasmania told ABC News these practices appear to breach the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act, which contains no exemption allowing faith-based schools to discriminate on sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status. The IEU will continue campaigning for workplaces where merit – not marital status or sexuality – determines opportunity.
Safer workplaces: anonymous reporting at CET
In June, the IEU secured a significant safety reform with Catholic Education Tasmania (CET): staff can now report concerns anonymously through CET’s online complaints form by writing ‘anonymous’ in the name field.
The change – prompted by IEU advocacy – helps workers raise issues like bullying, harassment and sexual harassment where there are power imbalances or personal risk. CET also agreed to receive anonymous reports via the union, enabling the IEU to support members who want protection while speaking up.
The strengthened process will help CET identify patterns and act earlier; staff who report concerns are legally protected from adverse action, and the IEU can guide members on the details (names, dates, witnesses) that make investigations effective.
Enterprise bargaining in the independent sector
Members at Launceston Christian School achieved a comprehensive Agreement approved by the Fair Work Commission on 28 April. Headline gains include an average 4% salary increase per year, a clearer classification structure, removal of performance-based progression, automatic annual progression for Education Support staff, and the ability to apply for reclassification when duties grow more complex.
The Agreement reimburses Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) certification costs; boosts family and domestic violence leave to 15 days; increases paid parental leave to 14 weeks (partners 2 weeks); enhances redundancy provisions and vehicle allowance; provides paid induction; recognises Easter Tuesday as a paid public holiday for ES staff; and confirms Student Free Days are fully paid. Members called it a ‘fantastic step forward’ for ES staff.
Catholic schools claim development
Negotiations on a new Agreement in Tasmanian Catholic education are set to commence next year, and as always our key focus in preparations is ensuring that the process is guided by the experiences and priorities of IEU members working in the sector. In November, we asked members to complete a detailed pre-bargaining survey – this will be followed by regional member consultation meetings around the state in advance of the preparation of our Log of Claims.
In 2025, we were reminded that organised members win. From Catholic and independent sector agreements to safer reporting and public advocacy for equality, Tasmanian IEU members turned collective effort into concrete outcomes for pay, workload, safety and respect.
