Latest news

8 May 2026

It is important that members read our regular enterprise bargaining (EB) updates as it updates you on what is happening outside of your workplace, and if your Enterprise Agreement (EA) is up for re-negotiation, it gives you a chance to take notes on what you would like included in your EB.

St Peter’s Woodlands

After the EA was voted down in March, the School and IEU representatives had a further bargaining meeting on 30 March.

The School has put the Enterprise Agreement out to vote this week WITH NO CHANGES.  Voting will occur on Tuesday 12 May and Wednesday 13 May.

Members continue to be concerned that the salary percentage guarantee to the Department for Education (DfE) for the final three years of the EA appears to only be for Teachers and no guarantee for Student Support Officers (SSOs).

Further the pay rise of 4%, 3%, 3% and 3.5% has fallen well below CPI which is currently 4.6%.

St John’s Grammar School

The School put the EA out to access period last week (a period of time that allows employees to review the EA before voting) and employees are due to vote this week Wednesday May 6 and Thursday May 7 2026.  We look forward to hearing the outcome.

Walford Anglican School for Girls

Our last EB meeting was Friday 1 May.

Parties still are yet to reach agreement on a number of important issues including:

1. Pay. The current offer from the School is:
   1. 4.25% from when the agreement is voted on
   2. 3.5% from 1 February 2027
   3. 3.5% from 1 February 2028
2. Camp Allowance
3. SSO Grade 4 overtime
4. Parental Leave including long term foster carers leave

The next Sub-Branch meeting for members is Thursday 7 May.

Pedare Christian College

Both parties have reached agreement on the majority of claims.  The last meeting was 28 April.  We are still in the process of discussing some minor drafting and clause matters.

We are hopeful to have the EA ready to go to a vote in the next few weeks.

Woodcroft College

The College has put the EA out to a vote and employees will vote on 4 May.

The Sub-Branch is running a NO campaign.

The VOTE NO campaign was for the following reasons:

1. Workload protections not included in the EA (policy only)
2. Proposed (delayed) workload reductions commencing in 2028 will not apply equitably to all (excludes the Junior School)
3. Proposed salary increases not fair in the current increasing cost of living crisis
4. In solidarity with Early Learning Centre (ELC) workers because the College has failed to pass on a 5% pay increase from 1 March 2026 in line with the Gender Undervaluation pay decision from the Fair Work Commission.

As of the afternoon 5 May, the NO campaign was successful and the College informed staff that the agreement was voted down.

We will advise members when we hear from the College and return to the bargaining table.

Prince Alfred College – Early Learning Centre

On Friday 1 May the IEU provided an endorsed Log of Claims to the School. We look forward to providing you an update after our next meeting.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your IEU Organiser Juliet Fuller.

Garden College

How exciting to announce that we will be bargaining at Garden College soon for the very first time. Garden College Teachers are set to be the only Islamic College in SA to be covered by an Enterprise Agreement.

Click here to read more about this important development

Kings Baptist Grammar School

The IEU has received the Notice of Employee Representational Rights (NERR) from the School and bargaining will be commencing shortly.

By the time of publication, your IEU Organiser Brian Horan would have visited both campuses to start the consultation process with members.

Saint Peter’s College

Bargaining Status: Concluded

The Saint Peter’s College EA has now been approved by the Fair Work Commission (FWC). Back pay will now be paid. Members who believe they have problems in receiving their back pay should contact the IEU.

Pembroke School

Bargaining Status: Started

We’ve made good progress in bargaining discussions with the employer.

Importantly, we have secured agreement on several improvements to conditions:

• 10 Days Reproductive Health Leave
  Members will have access to 10 days reproductive health leave, a significant new entitlement supporting reproductive health needs.
• 21 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
  The employer has agreed to increase paid parental leave to 21 weeks, representing a major improvement for members and their families.
• Improved Domestic Violence Leave
  Enhancements to domestic and family violence leave provisions have been secured, strengthening support for affected members.
• Pro Rata Long Service Leave After 7 Years
  Members will now have access to pro rata long service leave after seven years of service, recognising service earlier.
• Two Grace Days
  The employer has agreed to introduce two grace days, providing additional flexibility for personal or unforeseen circumstances.

Salary Proposal

The employer has put forward the following salary offer for a Step 10 Teacher, including the 3% Pembroke Professional Allowance:

• 2026: $130,819
• 2027: $136,379
• 2028: $141,152
• 2029: $146,093

This is based on:

• Base salary increasing from $127,009 (2026) to $141,838 (2029)
• Professional allowance increasing from $3,810 to $4,255

We are carefully assessing this offer to ensure it delivers real wage growth and keeps pace with cost-of-living pressures.

While this represents real progress, negotiations are ongoing. We remain focused on securing an agreement that delivers genuine improvements and protects existing conditions.

We’ll continue to keep members updated as bargaining progresses.

Pulteney Grammar School

Bargaining Status: Close to Finalisation for Ballot

As negotiations continue at Pulteney Grammar, salary remains the unresolved issue at the centre of discussions. Following the rejection of the employer’s proposal in a recent staff straw poll, employees are angry that the employer has not come back with a revised offer that will better reflect current economic realities.

Those realities have shifted significantly. With inflation now sitting at 4.6%, many staff are feeling the impact of a sustained cost of living crisis. Against this backdrop, the proposed salary increases 4% in 2025 and 3.5% in both 2026 and 2027 are increasingly being viewed not as meaningful gains, but as adjustments that struggle to keep pace with rising expenses.

At present, a Top Step Teacher earns $115,045. Even with the proposed increases, this would rise to $128,169 by 2027. While this represents an 11% increase over three years, staff are questioning whether it truly delivers real wage growth once inflation is considered.

The issue is compounded by Pulteney’s position in the broader market. Comparable independent schools are already paying between $129,000 and $133,000, while the public sector benchmark (DfE Step 9) sits at $123,236. Pulteney’s current rates remain well below both, leaving experienced teachers thousands of dollars behind their peers.

For many, this is no longer just about competitiveness it’s about sustainability. Falling behind inflation effectively means going backwards in real terms, placing additional pressure on staff already managing higher living costs.

Professional Services staff face a similar challenge. At Level 2.2, salaries of $70,571 remain significantly below both public sector benchmarks and leading independent schools, reinforcing concerns that Pulteney is positioned closer to the lower end of the pay scale than to its peers.

At the same time, reports of substantial increases in leadership salaries have intensified scrutiny. The contrast between executive pay growth and the current offer to staff has raised broader questions about equity and priorities within the school.

With recruitment, retention, and morale all closely tied to fair and competitive pay, staff are looking for an offer that does more than maintain the status quo. In a high-inflation environment, standing still effectively means falling behind.

Until salary concerns are meaningfully addressed, it remains unlikely that the current proposal will gain the level of support needed to move forward.

St Andrew’s School

Bargaining Status: Close to Finalisation for Ballot

Enterprise bargaining negotiations at St Andrew’s have finalised, with a number of significant issues resolved in recent days.

Conditions and Equity Concerns

The IEU has been negotiating final changes to the wording of clauses so that the proposed agreement does not represent a regression against Award standards and will be more likely to pass the Better Off Overall Test (BOOT). It is pleasing that these changes have been agreed by the employer, and the agreement will go to vote.

Long Service Leave

The employer continues to refuse to provide pro-rata access to long service leave after seven years of service, placing St Andrew’s outside the prevailing standard across the sector.

The IEU maintains that this is an essential entitlement that should be included in the agreement.

Workload

Teacher workload concerns have not been adequately addressed through bargaining.

While the employer has amended the cap on extra-curricular duties to 50 hours, this still represents a significant additional workload burden.

IEU claims aimed at reducing excessive workload and improving work-life balance have not been progressed.

Parental Leave and Gender Equity

The employer has proposed improvements to Paid Parental Leave, including:

• 16 weeks paid parental leave (increasing to 18 weeks after five years of service
• 10 days partner leave

However, we are concerned with the employer’s position that long service leave will not count as service for the purposes of qualifying for parental leave.

This position disproportionately impacts women and raises concerns about increasing the gender pay gap, which the IEU strongly opposes.

Salary

The employer has proposed salary increases of:

• 4.00% in Year 1
• 3.50% in Year 2
• 3.50% in Year 3

This would see salaries increase from $124,510 to $138,713 over the life of the agreement.

However, with CPI currently at 4.6%, the proposed increases fall below inflation and represent a real wage reduction for employees.

Annesley Junior School

Bargaining Status: Close to Finalisation for Ballot

The outstanding issue in the Annesley Enterprise Agreement negotiations remains clear: pay.

The current salary offer put forward by the School is unacceptable in the current economic climate. While headline increases of 3.25% in 2026 followed by 3% in 2027 and 2028 may appear reasonable to the employer, they fall well short of what is needed to keep pace with reality.

With inflation now sitting at 4.6%, and cost-of-living pressures continuing to intensify, these proposed increases represent a real wage cut. When wages rise more slowly than inflation, workers are effectively going backwards.

Each year, Annesley staff will see their pay stretched further. Essentials such as groceries, rent or mortgages, utilities, insurance, and fuel are rising sharply. A 3% increase in a 4.6% inflation environment does not maintain living standards—it erodes them.

A Built-In Decline in Living Standards

Even the slightly higher increase in the first year does not change the overall trajectory. Across the life of the agreement, the pattern is clear wages fall behind, year after year.

This results in a cumulative loss of purchasing power. By 2028, staff will be significantly worse off in real terms than they are today.

Some Progress for Professional Staff

It is important to acknowledge that the union has secured improved outcomes for professional (general) staff, particularly in the 2026 increases.

Under the previous agreement, union members identified that professional staff salaries had fallen significantly out of step with comparable independent schools and Department for Education (DfE) benchmarks. This situation was both unsustainable and unacceptably low. It reflects structural problems across many independent schools where general staff pay has been suppressed.

The 2026 increases for general staff include:

• Levels 1 and 4 – 6.0%
• Levels 2 and 3 – 9.25%

These higher increases, particularly the 9.25% adjustment for Levels 2 and 3, represent a step towards correcting those historical inequities and restoring relativities within the classification structure.

This progress reflects the strength of union negotiation.

However, while these improvements are welcome, they are one-off adjustments and do not resolve the broader issue of ongoing wage growth. From 2027 onwards, general staff like all employees are returned to 3.0% increases, which again fall below inflation.

Uneven and Inconsistent Outcomes

The offer still raises concerns about fairness:

• Teaching staff are offered increases consistently below inflation across all three years.
• Licensed Services Educators (ELC and OSHC workers) receive mixed outcomes, with some higher adjustments initially, followed by the same inadequate 3% increases. The level one base salary is still relatively low compared to the Modern Award.
• General staff, despite the 2026 adjustments (6.0% for Levels 1 and 4, and 9.25% for Levels 2 and 3), will also fall behind in real terms due to ongoing sub-inflation increases.

Notably, the School has made clear that some classifications will not align with Department for Education equivalents, reinforcing ongoing inequities.

A Pay Cut in Disguise

The core issue is simple: if pay rises do not meet inflation, they are pay cuts.

This offer locks in declining real wages and fails to recognise the growing financial strain on staff. It asks employees to absorb rising costs while their standard of living falls.

Time for a Fair Offer

Annesley staff deserve an agreement that:

• Keeps pace with inflation,
• Protects real wages over time, and
• Delivers fair and consistent outcomes across all classifications.

The current proposal does not meet these basic expectations.

The IEU will continue to push for a fair outcome that reflects the value of the work performed by Annesley staff and the economic reality they face.

Tyndale Christian Group of Schools

Bargaining Status: Close to Finalisation For Ballot

Progress Stalls

Members are increasingly concerned about delays in the bargaining process.

The employer has, for many weeks, indicated that a draft agreement would be provided so bargaining representatives could review how agreed matters are reflected in clauses. However, this has yet to materialise.

As the process drags on, the economic context continues to shift. With cost-of-living pressures rising, delays are not neutral they are actively eroding the value of the proposed salary outcomes.

The current salary trajectory under discussion is:

• Current TST: $116,515
• 2025: 4% – $121,176
• 2026: 3% – $124,811
• 2027: 3% – $128,555

The pay deal has become less attractive as inflation continues to impact household budgets

“Where’s Wally” Bargaining?

Members have expressed growing concern about the employer’s approach. Promised updates have not been delivered and key documents remain outstanding.

At this stage, the process is starting to feel like a game of “Where’s Wally?” except it is the draft agreement and critical industrial detail cannot be found.

Timely access to draft clauses is essential for genuine bargaining. Without it, members are being asked to respond to an agreement they cannot properly see or assess.

Ongoing Questions on POR Allowances

Alongside salary concerns, members continue to seek clarity on Position of Responsibility (POR) allowances, particularly for Band 2 Levels 1–3.

The proposed allowances are:

• Level 1: $5,202
• Level 2: $12,360
• Level 3: $21,197

While the employer has indicated these are competitive, important questions remain about how these figures were determined and whether they reflect the actual workload and responsibilities of the roles.

Sunrise Schools and ELC

One further meeting has occurred, which means only 3 meetings have been held so far this year.

It was agreed that further meetings would be postponed and a draft EA would be circulated.

Country incentives remain the sticking point. It is possible that in its current form there is a NO vote and we have a situation where one school sits outside the EA.

Kaplan International College Adelaide

The Employer rejected members offer of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and has issued the NERR.

The Sub-Branch is meeting to finalise a log of claims. Salary, job security and redundancy provisions are high on the agenda.

Investigator College

As expected, the EA was approved and started from 14 April 2026.

Congratulations to the Sub-Branch and negotiation team for winning improvements in:

• Parental Leave
• Family Events Leave
• Access to Long Service Leave
• Increase in Temporary Relief Rate (TRT) rate
• Early Career support
• Increase in camp allowance, and
• Right to Disconnect, Delegates Rights and Union training.