CLRI(NSW)

Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes (NSW)

Stipends

The NSW/ACT Bishops’ Conference and CLRI(NSW) stipulates that for the period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 the annual stipend to be paid to Religious Congregations for the services of a congregational member is as follows:

  • 55% of the indexed gross Teacher’s Salary of a Step 13 teacher for metropolitan Catholic Systemic Schools.
  • The Step 13 salary $81,656.00 as at February 04, 2010 is used to provide the actual rate.

The 2009-2010 stipend is

 Per Annum Per Quarter Per Month
  $42,484.00 $10,620.00 $3540.00
       
The 2010-2011 stipend is Per Annum Per Quarter Per Month
  $44,911.00 $11,228.00 $3742.00

PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

  1. Regarding the payment of stipends
  • Pro-rata payments should be made where circumstances warrant such payment eg where the religious is engaged in a part-time capacity.
  • Congregational Leaders are free to negotiate reduced rates where the financial circumstances of the body engaging the services of a member of a religious congregation do not allow the payment of a full stipend. It is stipulated that two-thirds of the full stipend be the minimum starting point for such negotiation.
  • Stipends are not personal payments and cheques/deposits/electronic funds transfers for payment of stipends must be paid directly to the respective Religious Congregation or its nominated bank account. Payments should be made quarterly in advance, where possible, but no more frequently than monthly. Stipends should not be linked to a payroll or payroll system.
  • It is understood that stipend payments in NSW do not include superannuation, retirement payments, long service leave or other benefits. Some congregations in NSW are receipt of the benefit paid on retirement of a religious from active ministry by the Catholic Education authority in the dioceses of Broken Bay, Parramatta and Sydney.
  • It is the advice of CLRI(NSW) that
    1. All leave conditions should be negotiated in the contract signing phase;
    2. Members of religious congregations should be eligible for all the leave conditions afforded their employed lay counterparts;
    3. Congregations engaging religious from another congregation should treat that member with compassion and justice;
    4. Extended leave should be able to be negotiated between the relevant congregational leaders and/or the leader and the chief executive officer of the entity:
    • for sabbatical leave initiated by the congregation;
    • for serious unforeseen reasons;
    • without loss of stipend if the congregation/entity is not replacing the absent congregational member.

Rationale for stipend rates

Stipends are paid to religious congregations in recognition of the services contributed by members of religious congregations over many decades in promoting the mission of the Catholic Church in NSW. Today, fewer religious receiving stipends are supporting those members of their congregations who are no longer able to engage in active ministry.

For the Joint Stipends Committee

Sr Sharon Price rsm
Executive Director CLRI(NSW)
4 February 2010

 

Print Version of the Stipend Rates in PDF format