IEU fights EPIC fail on staff pay
STOP PRESS: Thanks to the pressure on parties involved due to IEU legal action and the media exposure this story generated, there was a successful resolution Tuesday afternoon, 31 January, with all outstanding monies owed paid to staff. Worker’s wages are sacrosanct, and the union will not hesitate to take action in any similar situation in the future.
Just before 5pm on 25 January, the IEU was informed that staff pay was being withheld due to a dispute between the former and current board of directors of East Preston Islamic College.
Shortly after that, we contacted senior school members and forwarded a letter of demand to the Principal and current Board regarding this unlawful withholding of monies.
As of Monday 30 January, the Islamic Co-Ordinating Council of Victoria had received 54 requests for financial hardship loans from staff members who needed their salaries earlier than Tuesday. Their fortnightly salary, due Thursday 26 January, was not paid.
The Herald Sun reported that the amount owing could be as much as $300,000.
The union hopes mediation in the Supreme Court on Tuesday 31 January will resolve the issue so the salaries can be paid.
However, the IEU has filed an urgent dispute at the Fair Work Commission, due for conciliation Monday, 6 February and will also initiate action in the Federal Court.
“Alienating your own staff at a time of acute teacher shortage seems a reckless strategy to me, and the IEU is also concerned as to whether funds that should be spent on student needs are instead being squandered on lawyer’s fees,” said David Brear, IEUVT Deputy Secretary.
“This refusal to pay hard working staff is being used to gain leverage by one side over the other. It’s hardly a positive way to start the school year as the staff look forward to welcoming back students, not knowing when they will next be paid.”
“Our members just want to do the job they love at the school they love – but not surprisingly they expect to get paid to do so.”
It is unacceptable for staff to be deprived of their wages for any reason.
The Herald-Sun reports on the pay fiasco.