More than 2200 staff and 16,500 students could face an extended school year if a proposal in the latest Tasmanian Catholic Agreement is approved. Assistant Secretary of the Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania Simon Schmidt said that Catholic Education Tasmania wanted the right to extend the school year by a week in a new Agreement presently under negotiation. He said the CET also wanted the right to forcibly relocate staff between schools as a way of dealing with hard to staff schools. "We believe this issue should be dealt with by incentivising employment" he said. "The solution to workforce shortages isn't forcible relocation - it is locking in overdue workplace improvements that will help all Catholic schools attract and retain good staff." IEU Victoria/Tasmania members from six northern Catholic schools including Launceston schools St Patricks College, Sacred Heart Catholic School and Larmenier Catholic School met on Wednesday. Mr Schmidt said the last Tasmanian Catholic Education Agreement expired two years ago, and the IEU had been seeking to negotiate a replacement since February 2022. While Catholic staff receive pay parity with government schools, additional low-income payments to help those on under $75,000 deal with cost-of-living pressures are being withheld and Catholic school staff receive less maternity leave and paid partner leave than staff in government schools. Government school staff received a 3.5% increase in March this year, with 3% in March 2024 and March 2025. "Catholic employers now offer four weeks less paid maternity leave than government schools (14 weeks instead of 18), and just one third of the paid partner leave (one week instead of three)," Mr Schmidt said. "Our colleagues in government schools finalised their Agreement months ago and so have clarity around pay and conditions," he said. General Secretary, Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania David Brear said the loss of hard working staff to other schools would result if an agreement could not be completed this year. "These delays are holding up vital workload improvements and letting important provisions such as parental leave entitlements fall behind," Mr Brear said. "Two years to get this Agreement finished is far too long, and IEU members all around Tasmania have had enough." The Examiner contacted Catholic Education Tasmania for a response.