CATHOLIC schools will be thrown into chaos next month with teachers expected to join their colleagues from the government system in the biggest school strike in the state’s history.
Staff in Victorian Catholic schools have their wages tied to increases in government schools so they are directly affected by the outcome of the pay deal.
Independent Education Union Victoria general secretary Debra James called on Catholic workers to take part in a day of protest against the Baillieu government’s ”insulting” offer.
”When Mr Baillieu attacks the wages of staff in government schools, he also attacks the wages of our members in Catholic schools,” Ms James said.
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”The Baillieu government’s proposed performance pay arrangements are not only divisive and unwelcome, but they are paid for by increasing workloads and threatening career progression.”
Government teachers will strike for 24 hours in the first week of September after Premier Ted Baillieu refused to offer a pay rise of more than 2.5 per cent, despite a pre-election promise to make them the highest paid in the nation.
However, the state government offered teachers performance pay of up to 10 per cent of their annual wage as part of the pay deal – something rejected by the Australian Education Union. as punitive and divisive. The government is also seeking to save money by reducing the number of teachers who move up the pay scale each year.
Catholic Education executive director Stephen Elder said he would be dismayed if Catholic schools were going out in support of the AEU, which had campaigned to take money away from Catholic schools.
