Catholic school teachers across the Illawarra will walk off the job tomorrow as part of planned union-endorsed industrial action.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The full-day strike on Friday will see about 18,000 teachers and support staff from 540 Catholic schools across NSW and the ACT strike for the first time since 2004 as part of their demand for better pay and conditions. It follows a strike by NSW public school teachers on May 4.
Among those striking are teachers and support staff in the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong, which covers 38 schools across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Macarthur and Southern Highland regions.
About 20,000 students attend Catholic schools in the diocese.
A spokesman for the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong said it was working closely with schools to ensure supervision would be available for students tomorrow and that disruption to students and school communities was minimised by the action.
"Principals are providing parents and carers with updates regarding the specific circumstances for their school," he said.
"We encourage families to refer to this information and raise any questions directly with their school principal.
"As a Catholic employer, we fully respect the rights of employees to be part of unions and take protected industrial action. Directors from Catholic dioceses across NSW and the ACT continue to make genuine efforts to reach an agreement and resolve outstanding issues in the enterprise agreement negotiations."
The Independent Education Union (IEU) represents 32,000 teachers and support staff throughout NSW and the ACT.
Rallies are planned throughout NSW and the ACT tomorrow, including one in Wollongong starting at 10am. A march will set off from MacCabe Park, Wollongong, and make its way to the Catholic Education Diocese office in Market Street.
Glenn Lowe, a teacher at St Joseph's Catholic High School, Albion Park, and the president of the union's South Coast Sub Branch, will be part of a delegation that will hand a log of claims to the director of the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong.
Mr Lowe said a protected action ballot that was voted on last week showed 94 to 98 per cent of independent school teachers across NSW were in favour of strike action.
"This is not just a few teachers with a bee in their bonnets," he said.
Mr Lowe said strike action was necessary to address "the mess" that is the education system in NSW.
He said staffing shortages like those being seen in classrooms now had been looming for at least the past decade but the situation had recently become unsustainable, and the current enterprise agreement and Hear Our Voice campaign aimed to improve the supply of teachers and support staff through appropriate pay, recognition of workload and more time to prepare lessons.
"I am getting towards the end of my career. This is not about me or other teachers needs being met but the future of the profession. Because if we do not do something now the system will fall over because there is no one willing to join the system because it's not attractive," he said.
The union has five key claims: a teachers' pay rise of 10 to 15 per cent over two years; a fairer pay deal for support staff, including pay parity with public school colleagues; cuts to paperwork to give teacheners more time to teach; two hours' less teaching time a week to allow for class planning; and an end to staff shortages.
"Teachers and support staff are dedicated professionals who rarely take industrial action," IEUA NSW/ACT branch secretary Mark Northam said. "But uncompetitive salaries, unsustainable workloads and crippling staff shortages have pushed them beyond their limits."
He said further industrial action could follow if an improved offer was not made after Friday.
Merryn Porter
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
