Catholic school staff walk off job in response to 'offensive' salary offer

The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has refused to match an eight per cent increase for school-based psychologists and counsellors, the same amount offered to school teachers in October last year, instead offering just three per cent.

"Our members have found that to be pretty offensive," Independent Education Union (IEU) Hunter Valley Sub Branch organiser Therese Fitzgibbon said.

About 100 staff members marched down Hunter street to the Catholic schools office in demand of better pay on June 6.

Historically CSO employees had received the same pay increases as teachers and support staff in Catholic systemic schools, including a decade of just 2.5 per cent due to a direct correlation with the public sector wages cap.

"We thought it was just automatic that the eight per cent would flow on but the diocese has rejected that," Ms Fitzgibbon said.

The current offer as it stands means psychologists and school counsellors will be paid about $10,000 less than the equivalent position in department schools.

"We're calling on the diocese to maintain the salary nexus that's existed for a very long time. We're calling on them to come to the table and put a real offer forward that reflects the work these group of members perform," Ms Fitzgibbon said.

"We're going to lose people if they're not paid appropriate salaries."

A Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle spokesperson said while the diocese respects its employees' right to take protected industrial action in pursuit of a new pay deal, it is "disappointed by the way in which they have positioned their campaign."

In October 2023, the Diocese agreed with the NSW IEU that an unprecedented increase of 8 per cent would be paid to teachers working within the classroom environment.

"This was despite any increase in government funding and consistent with the NSW Department of Education's increase, and more importantly, a sign of our commitment to retaining our classroom teachers, who, with five years' experience, will be earning a salary of approximately $122,000," the spokesperson said.

"There are 155 staff members who are employed in the head office under the CSO Staff Enterprise Agreement. They are now asking for this same 8 per cent increase to be applied for all."

The spokesperson said the IEU fails to mention the majority of employees under the agreement are education officers, professional officers or administrative staff.

"In addition to up to eight weeks leave per year, an Education Officer in the CSO's head office already receives an average salary of approximately $153,000 without any of the pressures of being in a frontline classroom environment," the spokesperson said.

"Their slogan, 'Same purpose, same passion, same pay rise', fails to highlight that their baseline salary is approximately $30,000 higher than that of their equivalent experienced classroom teacher counterparts."

"Despite sharing the same purpose and passion as their classroom teacher peers, the head office employees are campaigning for a significantly larger pay disparity."

The spokesperson said the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle remains firm on the offered three per cent figure.

"The Diocese believes 3 per cent is a fair, reasonable and affordable increase, offered alongside the many benefits of not being in a classroom environment and dealing with the frontline pressures," they said.

"An increase higher than this would be an inappropriate and an inequitable outcome for our classroom teachers."

"We look forward to returning to our negotiations and concluding these in a timely and effective manner."

In the Protected Action Ballot released by the independent balloting agent on 24 May, an unequivocal 99 per cent of IEU members in the CSO voted in favour of taking stop work action.

"The strong results show IEU members are united in calling for the same increases as their colleagues in schools - they are taking this action today to achieve a just outcome for their salaries and conditions," IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Assistant Secretary Amanda Hioe said.

"Employers heard the voice of teachers last year. Now it's time for them to hear the voice of the CSO staff too."