Update: 11 June 2008

Talks Move Slowly
There is still no breakthrough in negotiations despite a series of meetings between VIEU and the Catholic employers following settlement in the Government Sector. Recent discussions have focussed on rates for POLs, Deputy Principals and Principals. The union's claims on workload, class sizes and scheduled class time, consultative provisions amongst others have also been extensively canvassed. VIEU has tabled a number of without prejudice proposals to settle many of our conditions claims with cost effective and staged approaches. Frustratingly, there has been no formal response as yet from the Employer Representatives to any of our proposals. However, reference is made at each meeting to an 'Employer Position' which is to be put to us in writing on Thursday 12 June. It is not until this document is seen, which has been promised for over 4 meetings now, that we can assess just how far apart we really are. If the verbal response at our meetings to the proposals VIEU has put are anything to go by, then Agreement is not close.

It's all relative!
Translating the scale for teachers is the most straightforward part of the negotiations. Outside of the incremental scale there are challenges in sorting out our POL structure, rates for Deputy Principals and Principals. In our promotions structures we do not have parity with VGS structures but rather have points of nexus and equity with corresponding classifications. Principals in Government schools are paid according to the size of their budget, not according to enrolment as they are in Catholic schools. Our deputy principals’ rates and allowances are fixed relative to principals’ rates and enrolment size and POL allowances are connected to but not the same as the Government sector Leading Teacher classifications. VIEU has tabled without prejudice positions on all of these matters to the Catholic Negotiating team. Our approach maintains the connection with the VGS rates but establishes proper relativities between the new rate at the top for teachers and for staff in all positions of leadership in schools.

School Officers and Schools Services Officers
Another big challenge in the negotiations comes with talks around non-teaching staff. In the Government sector, negotiations for these staff are underway but probably weeks away from conclusion. In the Catholic sector VIEU has ensured that SOs and SSOs always receive the same percentage increases from the same date and same improvements to conditions as that achieved for teaching staff. VIEU has undertaken considerable work on the pressure points on in the classification structure for our SOs and SSOs and will be putting proposals to negotiators this week.

Workload - it all adds up
Over the years, the Catholic Employers have proved resistant to making significant workload improvements, seeking greater flexibility at school level rather than improvements to caps and limits on class sizes and scheduled class time. Currently, Catholic secondary teachers have the same scheduled class time limit as their government sector colleagues - 20 hours per week. The difference is that in Government schools all extras are included in their 20 hours whereas in Catholic schools, teachers can be and usually are required to do another 18 hours of extras per year. In Government primary schools, the SCT limit is 22.5 hours per week and has been for some 20 years. In Catholic primary schools, teachers only moved to 23 hours per week in 2001 and are still 30 minutes per week away from their government sector colleagues. The pace of change and increased accountability measures have meant more meetings in time that could otherwise be spent on preparation and assessment, or deservedly, a home life. VIEU has put without prejudice positions on class sizes, scheduled class time, extras and meetings in the negotiations. You guessed it - no formal response to date.

Ratification Process in the Government Sector
At the end of the first of a two week AEU member ratification process, support for the proposed agreement is running at 88%. With only a few meetings to go, it is clear that there is broad support for the deal. When this ratification process has concluded, the Agreement goes to a full ballot of all persons who will be covered by it. A 50% plus one majority vote in that process will see the Agreement finalised and then payments will flow to staff backdated to 11 May. Where to for VIEU? We wait with bated breath for Thursday when the employer 'document' will be tabled. It is then that we will know how far apart we are.

Reps will be kept up to date on developments and will be asked to pass on all information to members.

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