2018 Catholic Pay Rise
For the last 3 years salary & allowance increases in Catholic schools have occurred on 1 October. With October 1 2018 almost upon us some employees may simply presume that pattern will continue and their next annual salary increase is about to occur. That is not the case.
Given the salary percentage increase could not be agreed too far in advance because of the uncertainty around government funding to Catholic school (which continues today) and the government school teacher pay rates were unknown, the Union and Employers agreed to align salary increases for 2018 and 2019 with that of the top tier teachers in Department for Education when they were eventually negotiated.
As the newly created Appendix O in the 2017 South Australian Catholic Schools Enterprise Agreement explains
O.1.1 At the point of any increase in Band 1 salaries granted to teachers in South Australian government schools the parties will consider the consequent salary difference between a full-time Band 1 step 9 (or equivalent) teacher in the South Australian government school and a full-time Band 1 step 10 Teacher in the South Australian Catholic school as detailed in Appendix A.
O.1.2 If the differential is in favour of the government teacher, the salary for Catholic school Band 1 step 10 Teachers will be increased to the level of the government school teacher.
That percentage increase will then be applied to all employees (and allowances which are indexed). Importantly, the increase will be effective from the same date as the increases are operative in government schools. Hence should any backdating occur this will apply to you as well.
To date there has been little progress with the public sector negotiations but at least the new treasurer has dropped the 1.5% public sector pay cap of his predecessor. The IEU will keep you posted on the outcome of DfE EA negotiations as that information becomes available.
