Staff in hundreds of Catholic schools throughout NSW and the ACT will stop work for one hour from 8.30am to 9.30am, on Tuesday 15 November.

Most Catholic schools across the Western Plains will have skeleton staff on duty from 8.30am to 9.30am.

For example, St Ignatius Parish School in Bourke will have two staff members on duty to accept students from 8.30am. 

Parents have been urged to contact their individual schools as some may not open or accept students until 9.30am.

As part of this legally protected industrial action, a number of schools are stopping work at different times. In Condobolin, St Joseph's School are delaying their action to 23 November from 8.30am to 9.30am.

Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch Acting Secretary Carol Matthews said teachers and support staff have been pushed to breaking point not only by uncompetitive salaries but also by unmanageable workloads and the lingering pandemic.

The IEUA NSW/ACT Branch represents over 32,000 teachers, principals and support staff in Catholic and independent schools, early childhood centres and post-secondary colleges.

The union is calling for practical action to reduce the unnecessary administrative burden on teachers to allow sufficient time for proper lesson planning.

“Our members are tired and frustrated with their employers’ failure to respect them by negotiating in a fair and timely manner, they won’t even discuss simple, sector-wide measures we know could mitigate workload pressure,” Ms Matthews said.

“Teachers care deeply about their students and understand the inconvenience the brief stop work will cause."

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Last Friday, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission handed down a decision to grant teachers in NSW government schools pay rises of 2.29% in 2022 and 2.53% in 2023. 

The IEU say that their own negotiations started in early February and in November they are no closer to resolving the pay issues for their members, over 32,000 teachers and support staff in Catholic and independent schools.

"They are left with no option but to take action in an attempt to bring their employers to the negotiating table," Ms Matthews said.

"Staff shortages are already severe, and with COVID rearing its ugly head again, a response from employers is more urgent than ever.".

“Teachers’ salaries have been falling relative to other professions for more than a decade now and this year’s intensifying cost-of-living pressures only make matters worse. Salaries for support staff in Catholic schools are below those in government schools, yet Catholic employers are still dragging the chain on pay parity.”