Independent Education Union slams pay cut at Tamworth's Carinya Christian School school

Independent Education Union organiser David Towson said the union would be recommending staff reject an offer of just 2 per cent this year.

If accepted, the agreement would grant teachers another 2 per cent rise in 2023, as well

With inflation currently running at more than 5 per cent, teachers' real pay could decline by thousands of dollars by the end of the agreement, he said.

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"We've advised our members that we cannot recommend a yes vote," he said.

"Ordinarily we reach a consensus agreement and we encourage a yes vote. This has not occurred."

Mr Towson led Catholic system teachers who walked off the job last month, after they rejected an offer of a 2.04 per cent gross pay increase. The Catholic education system traditionally ties wages to salaries in the state education system, which have been capped by the state government for a decade.

Mr Towson said the union was asking for a pay rise just half-a-per cent higher than the Christian school, at 2.5 per cent per year of the agreement.

"There are schools on the [Multi-Enterprise Agreement] that charge lower fees than Carinya, yet have chosen to pay their teachers more," he said.

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"Enrolments are strong at Carinya and the school has reported it intends commencing significant construction projects this year."

A spokesperson for Carinya Christian School said the school wouldn't comment on the wage dispute.

"The agreement will be voted on shortly, so this is a matter for staff," he said.

Carinya initially offered a three-year enterprise agreement, including a 1.6 per cent increase in 2024, but dropped the last year. The last teachers' agreement expired in 2020. It granted a 2.5 per cent pay bump in 2021, which was also less than inflation that year.

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The school is covered under what is known as the "standards" model, which is used by many independently-run schools. The union claims the Carinya agreement "is identical" with the standards model "in almost every aspect, except for the fact that the pay rates being offered at Carinya are lower, and the gap will widen to the detriment of our members at Carinya under the new proposal".

The pay increase is among the lowest of any school the union has an agreement with under the standards agreement, it claimed.

The union expects inflation to rise above its measured rate of 5.1 per cent in the March quarter.

The agreement will be put to teachers to vote between June 7 and June 9.

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