Independent Education Union Australia representatives recently dropped by the Wollongong Diocese head office and handed over a petition signed by more than 1000 members from 32 schools calling on its director to grant staff ‘’this basic right to arbitration’’.

Mr Farley said changing the dispute resolution clause, which the IEU says is the major sticking point in signing off on a new enterprise agreement, does not make any sense.

‘’This is a dispute’s clause that's been in operation for seven years. It has resolved every dispute that has been notified up to this point,’’ he said.

‘’It is also a similar clause to that which unions agreed to at 450 private schools in NSW.

‘’It is also the same clause that applies to a majority of workers covered by the Fair Work Act in Australia at the moment.

‘’The idea that we would change a clause that works just doesn't make sense to us. But if there is evidence that the current clause doesn’t work during the life of the agreement we’re happy to talk to the union about it during the next negotiations.’’

John Quessy, the NSW/ACT branch secretary for the IEU recently told the Mercury the union was happy to work with employers to avoid industrial action and finalise an enterprise agreement.

‘’They just have to consent to the right to arbitration,’’ Mr Quessy said.

But Mr Farley said Catholic school teachers and support staff already had access to the Fair Work Commission.

‘’We can and do go to the umpire,’’ he said.

‘’Matters get notified and they get resolved through conciliation in front of the Fair Work Commission.

‘’And if there is a need for arbitration then that is agreed to between the parties, but that seldom if ever becomes an issue because the matters get resolved beforehand.’’

Mr Quessy said the union wanted ‘’an umpire either side can call on when the umpire is needed’’.

Read more: Wollongong Catholic teachers want umpire to avoid strike action