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On 23 November the last Enterprise Consultative Committee meeting for this year was held.
Among other things, the following matters were discussed.

CESA Employment Declaration Forms

The IEU team reiterated members concerns that such a document, which must be completed for employment within Catholic Education South Australia, requires provision of date of birth.

There is no good reason why such information is necessary, particularly given the applicant must provide their Teachers Registration number. The employer representatives admitted it is most likely a ‘hang over’ from a past version and acknowledged asking such information is not necessary and understood the concern it created. An undertaking was given that a revised version will be issued minus the requirement to include DOB.

Priority Recruitment Program

After initial teething problems the program was successful in that

• 20 primary staff redeployed to secondary teaching positions
• 10 primary staff has chosen voluntary redundancies
• 15 primary staff have been redeployed to other diocesan schools
• A small number (2 or 3) accepted forced redundancies without restrictions on further work within the system.
• 37 schools lost Yr 7 students in 2018. It is expected only 5 schools will lose Yr 7 classes in 2019.

In closing it was noted by the IEU that redundancies for ESOs had recently become necessary at St Francis de Sales and St Augustine’s. The employer representatives confirmed the same process used for teachers will be applied to affected ESOs. The IEU has already commenced assisting affected members in these schools.

Performance Improvement Plans

The IEU raised the issue of employers declaring a staff member is underperforming and placing them on an informal process to improve their performance without appropriate validation of the alleged underperformance. Before informal Performance Improvement Plans commence the employee has the right to respond to whatever deficiencies are alleged. Recent cases refer to statements by students or parents being treated as ‘fact’ and hence justification that underperformance has occurred without right of reply. Employer representatives accepted the right to respond before such a process is deemed necessary. A review of relevant clauses within the current Enterprise Agreement will occur as a result.

Reminder: Live Learn and Lead –Together

The employer representatives confirmed each School leadership group is responsible for deciding how its school will participate in the upcoming LLL expo. At this point in time staff should have been advised who is required to attend and how that is recognised as part of workload and remunerated. If you are required to attend and school leadership has not explained this to you please contact the IEU.

Given this is the last Catholic Matters update for 2018 the IEU thanks Pat Allmand (teacher St Aloysius), Helen Williams (teacher St Martins), Jon Shriver (ESO St Columba), Brian Horan (teacher St Francis de Sales) for their efforts in representing members on this committee.