Tensions between Catholic school workers and their employer have reached new heights as Canberra teachers and support staff prepare to walk off the job on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The head of the Catholic Commission for Employment Relations says he is "seriously dismayed" Independent Education Union members in about 20 ACT schools will strike over an ongoing disagreement related to dispute resolution.
The union wants to be able to call on the Fair Work Commission to make binding decisions on industrial disputes.
The Catholic Commission for Employment Relations, representing the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, wants to settle disputes in-house and call in the umpire only when the two groups can't come to an agreement.
About 1500 union members will leave schools Thursday morning until 12.30pm. Union NSW/ACT secretary John Quessy said members had gone without a promised 2.5 per cent pay rise while they fought for their right to arbitration.
"While we are loathe to take any action which disturbs students' education, it's crucial that employers cannot stop the union seeking a hearing at the Fair Work Commission," Mr Quessy said.
"It's rather ironic that we are having a long-running dispute to fight for the right to resolve disputes quickly and fairly."
Catholic Commission for Employment Relations executive director Tony Farley said the body was "genuinely disappointed it's come to this".
"We want to give teachers their pay increase before Christmas and are saddened that students are paying the price for the union's insistence that we change an agreement that has worked well for everyone," he said.
"We respect teachers' right to take industrial action, but are seriously dismayed that the IEU are encouraging Catholic school staff to lose money over something the IEU recently supported in 450 private schools in NSW and the ACT.
"The IEU is totally inconsistent and it appears they've made this very poor decision by flipping a coin."
The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn covers 29 ACT schools including Merici College, St Clare's College and St Francis Xavier College, as well as schools in Young, Goulburn, Cootamundra and Cooma.
Archdiocese Catholic Education director Ross Fox said schools were working to ensure minimal disruption to students.
"It is disappointing that the Independent Education Union has chosen to again delay a successful resolution to negotiations and take this action in 20 of our 56 schools," he said.
"The disputes clause, which the union wants to change, is the only remaining sticking point and has been in place for seven years.
"It has always worked well."
