4000 staff to walk off job at 100+ Queensland Catholic schools

Lourdes Hill, Marist College Ashgrove, St Laurence’s and Stuartholme will be among the schools impacted as thousands of staff walk off the job at more than 100 Catholic schools across the state next week. SEE WHICH SCHOOLS

An expected 4000 staff at more than 100 Catholic schools across the state will walk off the job for an hour next week, unhappy with enterprise bargaining deal negotiations.

Major Brisbane colleges will be affected with the protected industrial action to happen from 10am to 11am next Wednesday, August 23.

They include All Hallows, Iona College, Lourdes Hill, Marist College Ashgrove, Mount Alvernia, Mt Maria at Mitchelton, Mt St Michael’s, St Laurence’s, St Patrick’s College at Shorncliffe, and Stuartholme.

All Hallows School, Generic exterior, Ann St City, on Wednesday 19th April 2023 – Photo Steve Pohlner

Negotiations between the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and the Independent Education Union’s Queensland and Northern Territory branch began in November.

In May, the QCEC tabled an offer of an 8.75 per cent pay increase for 2023, including wage and superannuation increases as well as cost of living measures.

However, negotiations have stalled over three key issues – workload intensification, proper recognition of school officers and ancillary staff in their new classification, and wage increases for those school officers and ancillary staff that are parallel with the public sector.

About 2000 staff at 34 Queensland catholic schools went on a five-minute strike from 8:30am-8:35am on Tuesday. Next week’s planned action will be a significant escalation.

Independent Education Union’s Queensland and Northern Territory branch secretary Terry Burke said there was a lack of discussion from employers around workload spikes.

“Catholic school support staff haven’t seen a change in their wage structure in over 30 years but the employers don’t want to talk about it,” he said.

“Next week’s action is about telling Catholic school employers to reconsider their approach and return to the bargaining table with proposals that address these outstanding employee concerns.”

A Queensland Catholic Education Commission spokesman told The Courier-Mail on Thursday that union representatives had agreed at a Fair Work Commission conference on July 25 that formal negotiations had progressed as far as they could and were therefore finalised.

“While the Branch Secretary of the IEU-QNT is keen to organise action, it’s difficult to understand what he is hoping to achieve by this latest action after previously agreeing that negotiations have been finalised,” the QCEC spokesman said.

The current EBA offer on the table is set to be put to a staff vote next month.

“Employees have asked employers to arrange the vote as they want to obtain the benefits offered as soon as possible. Employers expect an employee vote in early September,” the QCEC spokesman said.

“Employers have raised concerns with the union about misrepresenting the status of items in negotiations in their communications with members encouraging them to take action.”

The 106 Queensland catholic schools where IEU-QNT members are striking on Wednesday.

Originally published as 4000 staff to walk off job at 100+ Queensland Catholic schools