The Age reports on the IEU’s right to strike

Victorian Catholic employers hoping to delay negotiations and disempower staff were delivered a sharp wake-up call on 25 May with The Age’s article, Unholy workplace row brewing in state’s Catholic schools.

The piece reported that “a messy workplace dispute is brewing” in Catholic schools, highlighted the concerns raised in our recent survey, and noted that the IEU is “threatening Fair Work action to enable its members to take industrial action.”

IEU General Secretary David Brear was quoted as saying:

“Since the last Agreement was negotiated, teacher wages in other states have taken off… staff, including school leaders, continue to drown in paperwork, and education support staff are disillusioned with the systemic undervaluation of their work.”

“Things just can’t stay the same. IEU members demand the right to take protected industrial action.”

If employers continue to ignore the legitimate concerns of their employees, this campaign could indeed become a very public — and “messy” — dispute.

IMAGES FROM THE CAMPAIGN

In workplaces, at Rep training, at ES events and at IEU Council, the message is being shared and spread by IEU members.