HONOUR THE DEAL!
The IEU reached an in-principle agreement in early November on pay and conditions for new multi-enterprise agreements (MEAs) with nearly 40 Catholic independent schools, described as Model A, B and C schools.
The deal involves back pay in 2023 for both teachers and support staff.
For teachers employed in Model A schools, 2% is due to be back paid from the first pay period after 9 October 2023. For teachers employed in Model B and C schools, their rates are matched with the NSW Department of Education from the same date, with those in Model B schools also receiving an additional 1.5% from October.
Many support staff in all the schools were due to receive pay increases from July 2023.
However, about 10 schools have decided not to pay the increases this year and instead say they will wait until some time after the MEAs commence. In addition, Catholic Employment Relations (CER) is seeking to insert a provision into the MEAs that means any staff leaving before the MEAs commence would not receive any backpay.
We have advised CER, which represents the schools, that we consider this to be contrary to our in-principle agreement and bad faith bargaining. See letter below.
Backpay was a key component of the deal and employers cannot walk away from it.
The IEU will be notifying a dispute to the Fair Work Commission and taking any further action required to protect the interests of members.