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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT

Dear Catholic school staff member,

We write to you on behalf of the 16 Catholic school employers and the Independent Education Union (SA) Branch.

As you are aware, for nearly two years our respective negotiating teams have been striving to reach agreement with respect to a range of work-related matters. Despite good faith, robust discussions and hard work, we have not been able to achieve a mutually agreeable resolution on some issues.

Both parties do agree, however, that we would like to bring the negotiations to an end in order for staff to receive the benefit of negotiated increases as soon as possible. We are conscious that the staff in Catholic schools, who commit so much for the children and young people they serve, deserve their salary and allowance increases and applicable back pay. With this in mind, each party has agreed that we will withdraw our respective claims and offers, put the proposed Enterprise Agreement to a vote and allow salary and allowance increases and back pay to flow.

We have jointly agreed that the current Enterprise Agreement should be put to you for approval, with agreed amendments together with:

• 2.5% salary and (where applicable) allowance increases and back pay from October 2015 and October 2016;
• a 2.5% salary and (where applicable) allowance increase from October 2017;
• agreement to match DECD percentage increases to its band 1 teacher salaries in 2018 and 2019 (with the same percentage increase applied to applicable allowances and to Education Support Officers’/Indigenous Education Officers’ salaries and applicable allowances);

We have also agreed that, should the vote be successful and the Enterprise Agreement approved by the Fair Work Commission, the Enterprise Agreement will operate for a period of 3 years from the date of Fair Work Commission approval. We expect to recommence negotiations for the next Enterprise Agreement in 2019.

Together we have considerable work yet to complete in terms of drafting the revised document, providing it to you for your consideration and then undertaking the voting process.

Yours sincerely,