/catholic_8

QUEENSLAND INDEPENDENT EDUCATION UNION INDEPENDENT EDUCATION UNION OF AUSTRALIA – QUEENSLAND & NORTHERN TERRITORY BRANCH BRISBANE 346 TURBOT ST SPRING HILL QLD 4000 PO BOX 418 FORTITUDE VALLEY

Phone: 07 3839 7020 Fax: 07 3839 7021 Freecall: 1800 177937 Email: enquiries@qieu.asn.au Internet: www.qieu.asn.au ABN: 45 620 218 712

Friday, 11 May 2012

Colb7cb010rm

CATHOLIC COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Improving Conditions Collectively

CHAPTER BRIEFING NO. 8 Employers ‘Time Grab’ revealed Employers attack the fundamental concept of ET6 Chapter Action Needed Dear Colleagues Employers have finally tabled their own log of claims for negotiation.

In summary, employers want more control, more time and more tasks from employees.

Employers continue to disregard the impact of the expanding roles in schools on the staff they employ.

Employers ‘time grab’ revealed Employees in their log of claim sought additional professional time to address the expanding role of educators in schools.

For their part, employers’ response to this problem has been simply to claim more time.

Employers’ time grab would mean a new requirement of an extra 18 hours per year of teacher professional development.

Diocesan employers have indicated that this time may be scheduled in either school vacation time or as twilight sessions; while Religious Institute employers for their part indicate that twilight sessions only would be arranged.

At the moment, teachers typically undertake professional development within six student free days each year. Employers have offered no evidence as to how their claim for an additional 50 per cent of time for directed professional development has been developed, nor have they seemingly undertaken any analysis to determine whether in fact only relevant and meaningful professional development is currently provided within the existing time allocation.

In short, while employee representatives have advocated for resources and considerations to support strategies to address the expanding role of teachers, employers would only make the problem worse by demanding control over even more of teachers’ personal time where they might find the space necessary to prepare and plan for quality, engaged lessons.

1|Page

Employers undermine ET6 concept Employers have tabled a claim that would essentially undermine the very essence of the ET6 classification structure and the fair-minded processes that underpin it.

Employers are making the nonsensical assertion that “The tabling and settlement of Experienced Teacher 6 initiative and associated appointment process occurred late in the EB6 negotiation process, and as such limited consideration and consultation of the structure occurred.” This could not be further from the truth given the extensive negotiation of the concept in the last round of bargaining. The employer nonsense has been formally rejected by employee representatives at the Single Bargaining Unit.

Under the guise of a claim for a review of the ET6 classification and process, employers have foreshadowed that they want to assert managerial prerogative over the ET6 process with a capacity to disregard a Review Panel recommendation whatever it is.

They also indicated that they wanted the capacity to impose additional duties on an ET6 teacher.

Employee representatives argued that the employer claim was inconsistent with the agreed nature and scope of ET6 and that the position would be rejected on that basis. However, employee representatives did indicate a preparedness to engage in discussions on a future ET7 ‘Lead Teacher’ classification level.

Employers assert managerial prerogative Employers have tabled claims and positions that would elevate an absolute assertion of ‘managerial prerogative’, with minimal consideration of individual rights.

Employers are seeking the ability to: • direct an employee to attend a medical examination in certain circumstances; • suspend school staff from duty (with pay) while investigating any matter which, in the employer’s opinion, requires the employee’s removal from the school. (RI schools are not making this claim.)

Employee representatives are seeking legal advice on these employer claims.

Chapter action needed Members should be very concerned about employers’ claims in these negotiations.

Such unabashed and unashamed pursuit of more control, more time and more tasks, particularly in the context of the expanding role of the teacher, requires chapter members to make their voices heard.

Chapters are asked to urgently consider the attached resolution ahead of the next Single Bargaining Unit meeting and return the fax back to IEUA-QNT by Thursday, 31 May 2012.

Kind Regards

TERRY BURKE SECRETARY

2|Page

Catholic Collective Bargaining (ColB7) IMPROVING CONDITIONS COLLECTIVELY

FAX BACK Fax (07) 3839 7021 Thursday, 10 May 2012

Chapter Briefing No. 8

SCHOOL NAME:

______________________________________________________

ADDRESS:

______________________________________________________

That the Chapter at ____________________________________________ calls on our employer to withdraw their claim for an extra 18 hours of compulsory professional development for teachers per year – and instead reconsider the employer response to those positive strategies to properly resource the expanding role of staff in schools.

□ Carried

□ Not Carried

That the Chapter at ____________________________________________ notes with concern the employers claim to review the agreed ET6 structure and processes in the terms detailed - and affirms the fundamental nature of ET6 as “…a teaching practitioner whose effective teaching and learning in the school contributes to the effective implementation, development, provision and / or evaluation of the school’s educational programme”.

□ Carried

□ Not Carried

PLEASE FAX BACK TO IEUA-QNT by close of business THURSDAY, 31 May 2012 Fax: 3839 7021 or Email: catholiccolb7@qieu.asn.au Colb7cb010rm

3|Page

Catholic Collective Bargaining

FACT SHEET 1 Employer Log of Claims 11 May 2012

KEY ISSUES Employers want more control, more time and more tasks from employees.

Employers continue to disregard the impact of the expanding roles in schools on the staff they employ.

ACTION Chapters are asked to consider the resolution attached to chapter briefing No. 8 by Thursday, 31 May 2012.

CONTACTS IEUA-QNT Phone: (07) 3839 7020 Fax: (07) 3839 7021 Freecall: 1800 177 937 Email Enquiries: enquiries@qieu.asn.au Internet: www.qieu.asn.au

Colb7cb011rm

A summary of the Employer log of claims, tabled for negotiation on 8 and 9 May 2012, is as follows: 1. Removal of requirement for employer to notify teachers when they become eligible to apply for ET5.

2. Extension of the notice period required for resignation to 4 weeks in term time for teachers and Level 6 & 7 school officers.

3. Extensive review of the ET6 classification and process, including: Introducing a higher level assessment / appraisal, beyond that required for a classroom teacher or PAR; Changing the nature of ET6 to include an ‘additional duties’ requirement, in order to demonstrate ‘contribution’ to the school; Using ET6 teachers for ‘supervisory roles and / or duties with coordination responsibilities; Revisiting the reasonableness of ET6’s performing additional required duties within their normal hours of duty; Increasing eligibility requirements for fixed term teachers to access ET6; Formalising benchmarks to assess level of proficiency criteria; Reconsidering ET6 application criteria; Absolutely asserting managerial discretion as to whether an applicant for ET6 is accepted or rejected, regardless of panel recommendation; and Requiring principals and referees to make comments about ET6 applicants, not leave this as ‘optional’.

4. Ability to direct an employee to attend a medical examination at a doctor chosen and paid for by the employer, with the medical report going to both the employer and employee (or employee’s doctor), in circumstances where: The employee is absent from duty; or The employer is reasonably satisfied that the employee is not performing duties satisfactorily; and The employer reasonably suspects that the employee’s absence or poor performance is caused by a medical condition.

5. Ability for employees to apply to cash out a proportion of LSL accruals after 7 years service, provided that: At least 5 weeks of LSL leave is retained for use as leave; Cashing out can only occur once in any 5 year period; Employee seeks independent financial advice.

4|Page

6. Casual and part time teachers to advance incrementally after 1200 hours, rather than 1000 hours.

7. Ability for management to suspend school staff from duty (with pay) while investigating any matter which, in the employer’s opinion, requires the employee’s removal from the school.

(Note: A point of difference was that the Religious Institute employers did not table this employer claim above) 8. Requirement for teachers to attend an extra 18 hours of professional development per year, outside normal working hours, in addition to current arrangements.

(Note: Diocesan employers clarified that this extra professional development could be scheduled in school vacation time or as twilight sessions. Religious Institute employers indicated that it would only be organised as twilight sessions).

9. Administrative changes / tidying up of existing provisions in current EBA (Note: This suggestion was also an Employee claim).

5|Page