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Dara School

Enterprise Bargaining (EB) meetings have concluded. The draft agreement is currently being checked and is being put to members. The Enterprise Agreement (EA) provides for salary increases of 4%, 3.25%, 3.0% and 3.25% from 2024 – 2027. There are also improvements to:

• Paid Parental Leave (increased to 16 weeks)
• 2 days of special leave
• inclusion of a days of attendance at 200 days
• union representation on Consultative Committee
• notification of new positions to current staff
• a reduction in face to face teaching to 1280 minutes a week
• inclusion of professional learning community time within the day
• enhanced class complexity clause
• increase in gifted education qualification allowances, and
• increase in Coordinator levels and salary.

Pilgrim School

The school has provided feedback to the IEU claims. They have agreed to an increase in Paid Parental Leave of one week, to 15 weeks, and to pay superannuation on this amount. There is an increase to camp allowance from $120 to $150 per night. They school has agreed to Delegates’ Rights wording.

A salary offer of 6% in February 2025 and 4%, 4% for subsequent years has been tabled. The salary offer is contingent on the other matters being dropped. Unfortunately this would mean that other claims such as matching teacher partial redundancy clauses for support staff to those that teacher already receive and inclusion of workload such as face to face teaching time and co-curricular requirements would be dropped.

The employer as part of the offer is also wanting to introduce junior wage rates, which they are wanting to extend beyond 18-year-olds. The IEU’s view is that when someone is an adult then they should be entitled to the same salary as other adults and there should be no discounting.

Trinity College

At the last meeting, both parties reached a position where they are ready to put the Draft EA out for a vote. There was a last-minute offer by leadership to push the new agreement out to four years (with a further year of 3%) rather than the 3 years already negotiated. The IEU conducted a members’ poll which overwhelmingly returned a vote to keep the proposed EA at the current negotiated timeframe, which means the new agreement will finish at the end of 2026. The school is looking to provide staff with access to the draft during week 5 and 6, with voting in week 6. Counting and notification of the result should happen very early in Week 7 if this proposed timetable is adhered to. A big thank you to all members for their engagement in this process – your collective voice is important.

Portside Christian College

The employer has offered a 6.5+6+6% per annum (pa) salary increase to General Staff (GS) but has introduced a further Year Level in grades above Grade 3. This has the impact of slowing the full increase by 12 months for GS moving up one year level, as they transition from their current classification schedule to the new schedule with an extra year included.

Teaching staff have been offered 4+3.5+3.5 % pa. The IEU’s Claim was originally 7+7+7% and this has been revised to 5+5+5%. A significant compromise. The employer has not moved from their original offer.

A small toileting allowance of $1000 per annum for dedicated GS also been denied. This would have applied to a small number of GS who would be required to assist students with specific toileting issues. These GS need training to adequately assist students throughout their daily life at school.

There have been gains in workload to be included in the EA, aligning teacher work with the time and work done in similar non-government schools. This is a positive development but there is still work to be done on this in the future.

Portside Christian College members will meet soon to decide their next step to progress negotiations.

Torrens Valley Christian College

The EA has been put to the vote and was voted up. The salary increase was very conservative at 3% pa for 3 years. A Top Step Teacher at 1.0FTE in 2026 will reach a salary of $123,669. Similarly, a Grade 2 Year 3 General Staff member at 1.0FTE will be at $77,339.

The number of attendance days for teachers was negotiated into the EA primarily around the Right to Disconnect clause triggered by recent Fair Work Act inclusions. This proved to be a rather robust discussion as the employer was reluctant to move this requirement from the inhouse Teacher Working Conditions Policy to the EA where it could not be manipulated from year to year. Understanding when teachers could disconnect was not easily determined if there was no understanding or definition on when they are connected.

Temple Christian College

The fifth EB meeting was held on Monday 11 November. Despite many of the union’s claims being reasonable and low-cost, several have not been agreed upon, particularly around improvements to leave entitlements and workload protections.

Key Outcomes from Recent EB Meetings:

1. Leave Entitlements:
   • Claims for Cultural Leave, Disability Leave, Fertility Leave, and a dedicated breastfeeding room have been rejected.
   • The employer has agreed to additional leave (2 days special leave and 3 days unpaid leave) but maintains these are sufficient, which the union contests as inadequate compared to the proposed claims.
2. Parental Leave and Gender Equality:
   • The union’s request for 20-weeks of Paid Parental Leave and gender-neutral terms was not accepted, nor was an increase in Partner Leave to 15 days.
   • Despite the employer’s claim of gender inclusivity based on their Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Report, the union disputes this, citing concerns over the limited scope of Paid Parental Leave and lack of gender-neutral language.
3. Workload Protections:
   • The employer has not agreed to any major workload protections, including reduced teaching time, additional administrative time for Positions of Responsibility (PORs), or a reduction in face-to-face teaching hours.
   • The union also sought clearer definitions of face-to-face and non-instruction time but received an unsatisfactory response regarding beginning teachers.
4. WHS and Psychosocial Hazards:
   • The employer agreed to establish a policy on psychosocial hazards and a fatigue management policy, with the latter to be developed within the first year of the agreement.
5. Salary and Remuneration:
   • The employer has offered a salary increase of 3% for the first year, followed by 3% and another increase tied to DfE rates for subsequent years.
   • The union’s claim for a 25% loading for missed meal breaks was rejected, and the Temporary relief teacher (TRT) payment proposal based on experience was not agreed upon.
6. Collaborative Approach:
   • Agreement was reached to include IEU(SA) Representatives on the Consultative Committees at Mile End and Paralowie.
   • A clause regarding enhanced consultation on workload effects from new initiatives was also agreed upon.

Claims Still Under Discussion:

• Definition of “consultation” needs further discussion.
• Camp allowances, personal/carers leave expansion and compassionate leave definition also require further negotiation.

There have been some positive developments on salary increases and consultative processes. However, the are many critical claims—especially regarding leave entitlements, workload protections, and gender equity— that remain unresolved and are still subject to ongoing discussions. The union continues to advocate for improved conditions that better reflect the needs and rights of members.

Wilderness School Enterprise Bargaining.

“We deserve to be paid right and have good conditions.” IEU Member at Wilderness School.

At a recent Sub-Branch meeting, the employer’s response to IEU claims was considered and discussed and the members have said NO to the school offer.

Members were frustrated with the that key elements had not been addressed and concerned at the low staff morale.

The number of staff who had left or were leaving was discussed.

The bargaining team have been instructed to take this message back to the Bargaining meeting.

The employer – which currently pays less than Department for Education (DfE) and Catholic Education, and well less than like schools such as St Peter’s Boys – has offered salaries of 5%, 3.75% and 3.75%.

They have refused to bargain on key issues such as professional staff classifications and teacher workload and matters such as the timely introduction of fortnightly pay have been strongly resisted.

“We are at breaking point”

Members are concerned that Wilderness School has rejected key union claims for workload protections in the agreement. The current school policy approach has seen workloads grow.

“We are real people and to treat us like this is unfair.”

Professional staff have raised concerns about the classification structure in the agreement as it is limited in scope and classifies employees at a lower level than in the award. Requests for an audit of staff classification have not been agreed.

Willunga Waldorf School Enterprise Bargaining

Enterprise Bargaining has only just started.

Due to the cost-of-living pressures facing staff, members requested that the employer provide an immediate interim increase of 3%.

The employer has rejected the interim offer and are yet to provide the union with their Log of Claims.

The next bargaining meeting will focus on class size.

Hills Christian College

The final agreement is to be shortly put to the vote. Members have won:

• Salary increases of 3.5% in 2025, 3.5% in 2026, and matching the DfE in 2027
• Definition of Non-Instructional Time included in the EA to ensure that it is protected time and teacher directed (Clause 29.1 of the proposed EA).
• One full day, or two half days, during orientation week for individual and team curriculum planning time (to be included in the Teachers’ Workload Agreement (TWA)
• Clarification of the Teacher aid service is for any task (included in the TWA)
• Superannuation payable on Paid Parental Leave
• Introduction of the HAT and Lead Allowances
• Toileting allowance for ESOs
• Long Service Leave (LSL) minimum period reduced to 5 weeks (with shorter periods available on Principal approval)
• Right to Disconnect and Workplace Delegates Clause
• Commitment from the school to have in place the Inclusive Education Policy, the ILP Policy, the Sexual Harassment Policy, and the Work, Health Safety Policy (with new psychosocial provisions) by the end of the 2025 school year.

Prince Alfred College

Staff voted unanimously to reject an in-principle offer from PAC on 21 September 2024, on the basis that it did not meet their salary and workload expectations. That offer was:

• 4% in 2025, 3.35% in 2026, and 3% in 2027
• Workload issues to be dealt with via the Consultative Committee

The IEU bargaining team put a counter offer back to PAC on 5 November 2024 of a 4% annual average increase (inclusive of superannuation) together with a workload clause seeking implementation of reduced face to face, and a workload committee to deal with workload issues.

PAC responded on 11 November indicating that their salary offer remains at 4%, 3.35% and 3%. With respect to workload – PAC have said: “The College remains committed to continuing to find efficiencies through our systems and practices which will have a positive impact on work conditions and our workloads.” They did not however accept the workload proposal of the team.

The bargaining team will return to the bargaining table on 13 November, to continue negotiations.

Seymour College

IEU members endorsed a Log of Claims at a meeting on 18 October 2024, which has now been put to the College at the bargaining table. Key claims include:

• Salary increases of 5% per annum to combat the cost-of-living increases
• HAT and Lead allowances matching DfE
• Protection for Non-Instructional Time and regulation of the teacher workload through inserting existing provisions into the EA for the first time.

The Employer is yet to respond to any claims.

St Peter’s Girls School

Following members endorsement of the Log of Claims, the bargaining team have got straight to work, with the first substantive meeting seeking to put workload in the spotlight through creating a workload clause in the agreement underpinned by a reviewed co-curricular policy and associated workload document. The school is expected to respond to workload when we next meet on 26 November. Other key claims yet to be discussed in bargaining:

• 5% increases to combat the historic low wage growth at SPGS and cost-of-living crisis that sees members being paid less that teachers in DfE and Catholic schools.
• Payment frequency increased to once a fortnight
• Increased access to Paid Parental Leave, counting for service, and access to Reproductive Leave.

Southern Vales Christian College

The College have proposed an EA in terms that appear acceptable to the bargaining team. The terms capture the elements of the defunct agreement and some modern developments. We now largely await the College’s final proposal with respect to salary scales, particularly the teacher’s salary scales. The College’s position throughout has been that they would match the Department’s salary. This includes a 9-step salary scale that the DfE use. Should this be confirmed the agreement is expected to go to the vote early in 2025.