State deal to help with pay dispute

Published: 15 November 2009
By: Paul Dobbyn

Mike Byrne

A STATE Government agreement on increases to public sector teachers' pay rates looks likely to help negotiations between Catholic school authorities and the independent school sector teachers' union.

Teachers from 16 Catholic independent schools in Brisbane, and schools in Cairns and Toowoomba diocese held strike action on October 28 over their claim for higher wages.

These schools were also to take part in a further two half-hour stoppages on Wednesday (November 11).

Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) executive director Mike Byrne called the breakthrough "encouraging".

Queensland Independent Education Union (QIEU) secretary Terry Burke said the decision meant that there was now "no good reason why Catholic employers shouldn't meet with us to discuss negotiating professional rates of pay".

Under the Government's agreement put forward after six months of strikes and protests, Queensland public sector teachers will get a 12.5 per cent pay rise over three years as well as increased base pay for new and experienced classroom teachers.

The Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) voted on November 7 to accept the new package.

Mr Byrne said that "Catholic employers have all along maintained that they had acted in good faith in granting their teachers a 4.5 per cent increase back in May".

"This included a commitment to negotiate further increases when outcomes in the state sector were known," he said.

"It has always been our clear commitment to provide just and affordable pay rates for our dedicated and talented Catholic teachers.

"At this stage, we do not know the detail of this latest Government offer.

"When the full details are known, they will clearly inform our current negotiations with our teachers and their union."

Mr Burke said the agreement between the Government and the QTU had set "a nominal benchmark" in negotiations between the QCEC and the QIEU.

"The QIEU has already sought a meeting with the QCEC and will now seek to do so with more urgency given these latest developments," he said.

Mr Burke said the action planned for November 11 was to still go ahead as planned.