School Services Officers (SSOs) and Early Childhood Workers (ECWs) will be automatically paid if they would usually work on the three upcoming March public holidays, with the Australian Education Union claiming the development as a win.

It follows teachers securing a new $1.6 billion enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) with the state government late last year, which delivered a 13 per cent pay boost for teachers over the next three years.

As part of the agreement, SSOs and ECWs no longer need to accrue Time Off In Lieu of Payment (TOIL) to cover public holidays, but the EBA is still awaiting approval from the South Australian Employment Tribunal (SAET) before being implemented.

This left SSOs worried they would need to quickly accrue TOIL to cover the upcoming Adelaide Cup public holiday and the two public holidays over the Easter long weekend.

But intervention from Education Minister Blair Boyer means SSOs will be paid for the three upcoming public holidays.

A letter sent to SSOs from the government’s Enterprise Bargaining Unit said “SSOs and ECWs will not need to use accrued TOIL to be paid for the Adelaide Cup public holiday on Monday 11 March 2024… or the Easter public holidays”.

“The proposed new school and preschool education staff enterprise agreement removes the requirement for SSO and ECW employees who only work during the term to accrue time off in lieu (TOIL) to receive payment for public holidays that aren’t worked,” the letter reads.

“This change will mean all SSOs and ECWs will receive payment for public holidays not worked without the need to accrue TOIL.

“The application for approval of the new enterprise agreement has been lodged in the South Australian Employment Tribunal (SAET), but this process is yet to be finalised.”

The Enterprise Bargaining Unit added that “as there are several upcoming public holidays, the department has decided to apply this new provision immediately, and not wait for SAET approval of the new enterprise agreement”.

“Once the SAET has approved the enterprise agreement, all other terms and conditions will come into effect.”

Boyer said he was “pleased to have made sure the upcoming changes for SSOs in the Enterprise Agreement are applied now ahead of Monday’s public holiday”.

“Improving working conditions for SSOs is an important priority for the Malinauskas Labor Government, and they shouldn’t have to accrue time off in lieu to be paid for public holidays,” he said.

“That’s why we made this change in the agreement and it’s why we’re delivering it now.

“I want to thank the AEU for working constructively with our government – working together to improve the conditions of all staff in our schools and preschools.”

AEU SA vice president Sadie Gent welcomed the development, and said it would have been “unfair that [SSOs] be asked to pay the price for delays caused by bureaucracy”.

“AEU leadership met with the Minister yesterday to raise these concerns,” Gent said.

“We are pleased the government has acted quickly and agreed to pay SSOs for the three upcoming public holidays.

“SSOs are essential to providing the very best support for students, and this gesture of goodwill goes to the heart of acknowledging that.”

In an email sent to AEU members, Gent said “this change marks the first of many for SSOs, who often feel undervalued by our system”.

“You and your colleagues know support staff are essential to fixing the crisis in public education, and this gesture of goodwill goes to the heart of acknowledging that,” Gent said.