“We expect discussions with the IEU to begin this year regarding a new agreement,” she said. James said Victorian school staff in 2020 “took the lead like never before” and the months of distance learning gave parents a better understanding of teacher engagement. “In previous rounds of bargaining, employer representatives have insisted on an agreement with several employers that deprives our members of the fundamental right to take protected collective action in the event of a labour dispute,” she said. Maria Kirkwood, director of Catholic education in the diocese of Sale, which covers eastern Victoria, said the current agreement with its 2500 employees expired in April. Catholic school teachers who wanted to campaign for a raise in 2013 were warned that their action was not protected. Credit: Andrew De La Rue But she said they were also too driven by the increasing demands of their time. The governance change came into effect on January 1 in response to a recommendation from the Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Billions of dollars in annual government funding for Catholic schools would have been compromised without the change. The redesign reduced the number of employers in Victoria`s Catholic school system from more than 500 to less than 30.

Victoria`s 25,000 Catholic teachers and staff have called for the right to take protected collective action to get more leave, smaller classes and less teaching time. Catholic Education Melbourne was invited to comment. The Union of Non-State School Teachers says the recent overhaul of the administration of Melbourne`s 300 or so Catholic schools – which takes the authority of the local pastor into the hands of the archdiocese – gives employees legitimate demands to collectively bargain for better working conditions. “Our teachers are drowning in ever-increasing workloads and need the time, resources and autonomy to be able to focus on the job they want to do: supporting and educating their students,” said James. The union`s demand protocol includes a reduction in teaching time to 6 p.m. for elementary and secondary school teachers, classes of up to 20 students, an additional week of annual leave for some employees, and an increase in paid parental leave, personal leave and compassionate care leave. Deb James, president of the Independent Education Union in Victoria and Tasmania, said the change was meant to give teachers and staff the ability to bargain collectively in the event of a dispute and to take protected collective action – a right they were previously denied. Our morning edition newsletter is an organized guide to the most important and interesting stories, analyses and ideas. Catholic school teachers who tried to join public school teachers on a major public “day of protest” in 2013 were informed by the Victoria Catholic Education Commission that their actions were not protected and ordered not to gather. .