If members vote to walk off the job, the Independent Education Union (IEU) would be the fifth public sector union to take industrial action in recent months.

All five want the government to drop its decade-old public sector wage cap, which limits rises to a maximum of 2.5 per cent per year.

Acting secretary Carol Matthews said that while the cap doesn't apply to her members directly, wages in the independent system are heavily affected by the public system.

"We see this as a once-in-a-decade opportunity to address the drift in teachers' wages compared to other professions," she said.

"The union is absolutely committed to it and we expect our members will take the same position, which is they want something done seriously about teacher pay and also some of the teacher workload issues that we've raised."

The union is currently negotiating with employers, and is asking for a pay increase above inflation, which is forecast to run at about 3.5 per cent or higher in 2022.

"We've asked for a real pay increase. Our claim is consistent with that which the Teachers' Fed has made, which is increases of around 10 to 15 per cent over two years. Not necessarily paid across the scale, on all steps, but we say there has to be real increases ahead of inflation."

If the union does strike, the IEU will join the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, the Teachers' Federation and the Health Services Union, which represents paramedics.

All four have made moves to take industrial action in 2022, though members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union were preempted from planned industrial action in February by a state government lockout, closing the state's entire public transport system. Public teachers struck in December 2021.

"I don't think I would describe it as a coordinated campaign, but obviously unions know what other unions are doing, but it's not a coordinated campaign as such," she said.

"For teachers, for example, I would say it's one profession. Teachers in Catholic and teachers in government schools face the same pay and workload pressures across both sectors."

Tamworth teachers will take part in meetings on April 1, with teachers in other communities holding meetings the same week. Members will be consulted on whether they want to take part in a formal vote on protected industrial action at the meetings.

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Because private sector teachers are subject to federal industrial relations legislation, it can only take place after a vote of members.

Any strike action would not take place this term.

Ms Matthews said school wages had been suppressed by the state government's wage cap to such a degree that the profession was proving less attractive as a career, leading to a shortage of teachers.

The state government's wage cap has been in place since 2011.