The Independent Education Union endorsed the full-day stop work on Friday, May 27. A Newcastle rally is set to be held at Wickham Park at 10am with teachers marching to the Catholic Schools Office on Hunter Street.

More than 17,000 teachers and support staff in 540 Catholic diocesan schools throughout NSW and the ACT voted overwhelmingly for the right to take protected industrial action.

The union has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement for its members in Catholic diocesan schools since January, calling for a pay increase of 10-15 per cent over two years, pay parity for support staff with public sector schools, a cutdown on paperwork, two more hours release from face-to-face teaching per week and an end to staff shortages.

"Taking protected industrial action is no small thing - we don't take it lightly," Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT branch secretary Mark Northam said.

"Teachers and support staff across both the government and non-government sectors are dedicated professionals pushed to breaking point. Schools have been running on good will, but it is rapidly evaporating."

"The sharply rising cost of living, lack of real wages growth, ever-increasing workloads and the pandemic have caused crippling staff shortages in Catholic schools - our members are exhausted and burnt out.

"Catholic school employers are following the NSW Government's lead in limiting pay rises to 2.04 per cent, a short-sighted approach that has resulted in the current staffing crisis. Teachers are leaving the profession and graduates are not entering it."

"Teachers are totally exhausted, they can give no more," branch president Chris Wilkinson said.

"With the chronic shortage of casuals, teachers and support staff are being asked to take extra lessons and double classes on top of their teaching load, which takes away precious planning and preparation time. We urge employers to listen to teachers and support staff, hear our voices and pay us what we deserve."

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