Ipswich Girls Grammar School teaching staff are on the brink of strike action over a dispute on pay and conditions at the school.
If it goes ahead, it will be the first time teachers from Ipswich Grammar have walked off the job.
Independent Education Union [IEU QNT] are threatening to strike from next Tuesday for half day from 11:55 am until 2:55 pm.
The strike action comes in the wake of a break down over protected industrial action, which saw workers pay docked for failing to attend meetings and for taking a lunch break.
The staff are now seeking action on three key issues – a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) payment, a new automatic step for experienced teachers and flexible access to leave.
Independent Education Union [IEU QNT] organiser Andrew Elphinstone said taking any form of protected industrial action, especially strike action, was always a last resort for union members.
“Taking such action is the last thing members at IGGS want, but their employer has left them no other choice,” Mr Elphinstone said.
“Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School promotes that values like respect are at the heart of its school community.
“So why isn’t the school respecting its teachers and support staff and their working conditions?
“Instead of listening to staff concerns, Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School is ignoring the voice of employees.
The strike action comes after IEU-QNT members at IGGS began their first tranche of protected industrial actions last Monday, 20 May 2024.
These protected industrial actions include employees not attending staff meetings (except those related to staff and student safety) and not being available for any work on scheduled breaks.
Mr Elphinstone said the employer’s response to IEU-QNT members taking these low-level actions – including simply taking their lunch break – was to dock their pay.
“These are the kinds of tactics big businesses employ against their workers – not what we expect to see a school employer doing to their staff,” he said.
Meanwhile, the exclusive Ipswich private school is expected to meet with the Independent Education Union [IEU-QNT] on Monday June 3rd in an effort to prevent teachers and support staff from taking strike action.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Ipswich Girls and Junior Grammar School emphasised an ‘unwavering commitment’ to finding a way forward through ‘constructive negotiations’.
It read that the school had earlier this year offered a pay rise of 5% to all staff in 2024, 5% in 2025 and a further 4% in 2026.
IGGS had also proposed total wage increases of 14.66% compounding over 3 years.
According to the statement, the agreement enhanced long service leave provisions, allowing staff to utilise between 4 to 26 weeks of accumulated leave during the academic term, on top of their regular non-term paid leave.
It also introduced greater flexibility to accommodate urgent and special situations.
Ipswich Girls Grammar School Principal Dr Marie Perry said that she acknowledged the recent developments but remained committed to collaborative efforts.
“Despite the sudden escalation in industrial action, we want to assure everyone that the school continues to negotiate in good faith.
“Our scheduled negotiation meeting with the union reflected the school’s determination to find a positive resolution,” she said.
Dr Perry stated that “While some staff members are participating in the proposed industrial action,
many others are continuing with business as usual.
The school acknowledges this diversity of responses and remains committed to minimising disruptions to students’ learning experiences,” she said.
