Bargaining Loop #1 – 4 February 2026
Our union met with Queensland Catholic school employer representatives yesterday to continue collective bargaining negotiations.
In short:
- As IEU members, collective bargaining is our opportunity to secure better wages and working conditions.
- Our union and employers tabled a range of claims at a Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) meeting yesterday, 3 February 2026.
- IEU member claims focus on a plan for ACTION NOW on workload, wages and contemporary workplace rights.
- In contrast, the employer claims provide no vision for the future of schools – including no claims to address workload pressures which affect the wellbeing and retention of staff.
A plan for ACTION NOW
IEU members’ claims focus on ACTION NOW on the key issues in schools:
- ACTION NOW …on addressing the workload crisis.
- ACTION NOW …on wages that recognise the value of their work.
- ACTION NOW …on implementing contemporary rights at work.
- ACTION NOW …on the recognition of specialist and leadership roles.
Member voices at the table
The SBU meetings are attended by a group of employer and employee representatives.
Employee SBU representatives include six (6) IEU members.
These members bring their lived experiences as teachers, middle leaders and school support staff from Catholic schools across the state, ensuring members have a strong voice at the bargaining table.
IEU member SBU representatives:
- Alex Patten – Teacher, EREA flexi centre – Logan
- Annette Gregory – School Officer, EREA school – Townsville
- Heather Grundy – Teacher, Diocesan school – Sunshine Coast
- Jo-Anne Desailly – Teacher, RI Girls school – Brisbane
- Karyl Young – Middle Leader, Diocesan school – Rockhampton
- Samantha McKinnon – Teacher, RI Boys school – Brisbane
IEU officers also attend the SBU meetings to support members as employee representatives.
Employer representatives include a range of professional staff, such as human resource and employee relations officers and managers.
Notably, Religious Institute (RI) schools (other than EREA) have not sent a direct representative to the SBU and are instead relying on a central bargaining representative from Catholic Education Queensland Limited (CEQL).
IEU member claims
At yesterday’s meeting, our union tabled the following member claims to support ACTION NOW on workload, wages and contemporary workplace rights:
Medication
With more students requiring complex and high-risk medical support at school, we need ACTION NOW to recognise the added responsibility of administering prescribed medications.
IEU members are seeking an allowance to recognise employees undertaking this complex work. SBU employee rep Alex said school staff take on a high level of risk in supporting students’ access to prescribed medication (including controlled Schedule 8 medication) without adequate recognition or payment. Alex also said staff members who administer medication during camps or excursions deal with an additional layer of complexity.
Reproductive health leave
IEU members are seeking ACTION NOW to ensure staff have access to 10 days of paid reproductive health leave – in line with the public sector – for any employee experiencing a reproductive health condition.
SBU employee rep Sam spoke to the lived experience of members in schools, many of whom work while unwell or run down personal and other leave to manage their reproductive health.
Find out more about reproductive health leave in our union’s FAQ explainer.
Camp allowances
Current overnight camps and school activities rely on goodwill rather than fair remuneration – we need ACTION NOW to ensure this additional work is recognised.
IEU members are seeking a $100 per night allowance. SBU employee rep Alex said staff on overnight camps deserve fair payment to recognise the additional workload and time spent away from family.
Two-week Easter break
We need ACTION NOW to ensure staff can access a proper two-week break after Term 1, without makeup time, as it supports long‑term wellbeing and retention.
A protected break would relieve workload pressures across all schools by ensuring it is not used for mandatory professional development, planning or other school-directed activities.
National Teacher Workload Impact Assessment Tool
The National Teacher Workload Impact Assessment Tool (NTWIAT) is used by the federal government to assess the workload impact for teachers of new initiatives prior to implementation.
IEU members’ claim is for Queensland Catholic school employers to adopt the NTWIAT when implementing new initiatives that impact teacher workload. SBU employee rep Jo-Anne spoke to the potential of the NTWIAT to make a positive difference to teachers’ workloads as well as the success of new initiatives.
The workload and work intensification crisis has teachers at breaking point – we need ACTION NOW before more burnout and walk away from the profession.
Superannuation on unpaid parental leave
IEU members want to see ACTION NOW on the super gap facing parents and are seeking superannuation for employees on unpaid parental leave (up to the initial 12-month period).
SBU employee rep Sam said the payment would help to address gender inequity and improve long-term financial security for working parents.
First Nations cultural and kinship leave
IEU members are seeking ACTION NOW to ensure that when First Nations staff represent their school in cultural matters, it is recognised as work and remunerated accordingly.
The IEU member claim would see paid cultural leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff increased from two (2) to three (3) days and immediate family as determined by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Kinship system recognised for the purposes of personal/carer’s leave, compassionate leave and family and domestic violence leave.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) impacts all workers. IEU members are seeking ACTION NOW to ensure clear AI implementation and protocols that support staff rather than add to their workloads.
Emergency and natural disaster leave
IEU members are seeking ACTION NOW on an increase to emergency and natural disaster leave from five (5) days per calendar year to five (5) days per occasion, in recognition of the increased incident of such events in Queensland.
SBU employee rep Annette spoke to the experience of some members in North Queensland who have exhausted their leave entitlement due to ongoing or multiple natural disaster events.
Our union looks forward to a considered response from employers on these IEU member claims. We will table further claims at the next SBU meeting on 17 February 2026.
Employer claims
At the SBU meeting, employer representatives tabled clauses relevant to their log of claims.
While some claims include slight ‘nip and tuck’ improvements to current conditions, employers have no broad vision for working conditions in Queensland Catholic schools.
The employer log of claims proposes no solutions to workload pressures and the associated wellbeing and retention of staff.
The employers have also approached the negotiations by threatening to deny employees backpay if they do not vote in favour of a proposed agreement by 31 October 2026.
A copy of the employer log of claims can be found here.
Next meeting
The next SBU meeting will be held on 17 February 2026.
Stay informed
Our union is the most reliable source of information during collective bargaining.
We will be communicating with members regularly to keep them informed about the progress of negotiations.
IEU Delegates will also be engaging regularly with Chapter members to provide reports and updates.
Our union relies on strong and engaged Chapters to secure a successful outcome in collective bargaining.
Now is a great time to encourage colleagues who are yet to become members to join IEU and make our collective voice stronger.
We need Action Now
Queensland Catholic school employers must address meaningful improvements to working conditions for IEU members.
IEU members don’t need another review, another joint working party or another three years until the next bargaining round – IEU members need ACTION NOW!