Chef exposes equal pay shame

Chef exposes equal pay shame

A Melbourne chef proved she was paid $15,000 less than male colleagues, yet her former employer won’t be held to account. Elena Sabbatini told The Age she “gave pretty much everything” for her job at Peter Rowland Group, an upmarket caterer based in Docklands. Ten...
IEU joins coalition supporting the Voice

IEU joins coalition supporting the Voice

Our union has joined a coalition of 70 organisations supporting a Voice to Parliament for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The unlikely alliance of unions, schools and universities, not-for-profits, banks, sporting code bodies and corporations...
Corporate profits driving inflation

Corporate profits driving inflation

International research by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found corporate profits have contributed far more to Australia’s drive in inflation through the past year than wage growth or employee costs. According to the report,...
Crackdown on exploitation of migrant workers

Crackdown on exploitation of migrant workers

New laws announced by the federal government will make it a criminal offence to exploit migrant workers by coercing them to breach visa conditions or accept exploitative practices. Employers will also be banned from hiring any new visa holders for a period of time if...
IEU unites against discrimination for IDAHOBIT

IEU unites against discrimination for IDAHOBIT

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) will be held on 17 May 2023. Why IDAHOBIT is important   Although there have been some significant wins and milestones for the LGBTQIA+ community in recent years, the...
45% of gig workers earn less than minimum wage

45% of gig workers earn less than minimum wage

Almost half Australia’s transport gig economy workers earn less than minimum wage despite working long hours in unsafe conditions. A landmark report released this month by the McKell Institute in conjunction with the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) highlights several...
Harmony Week 2023: Everyone Belongs

Harmony Week 2023: Everyone Belongs

The importance of inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic backgrounds, is the focus of Harmony Week. This year Harmony Week falls between Tuesday, 14 March and Tuesday, 21 March 2023. Tuesday, 21 March is also the...
Unions win for working women

Unions win for working women

Last week’s International Working Women’s Day (IWWD) celebrations were an important reminder of the significant changes won by unions to improve the lives of women at work over the last year.   IEU Assistant Secretary Nicole Kapernick said that while we know there is...
Government follows through on Respect@Work

Government follows through on Respect@Work

In passing its Respect@Work Bill into law today (28 November), the federal government has fulfilled its commitment to making workplaces safer for women. The new law means all 55 recommendations of the landmark Respect@Work Report will be implemented, including several...
Respect program resources launched

Respect program resources launched

The Queensland government has released an updated and upgraded suite of resources for the delivery of respectful relationships education in Queensland schools, which includes a public online hub for students and families. New and strengthened information on concepts...
Paid parental leave expansion step in right direction

Paid parental leave expansion step in right direction

Unions have welcomed the Albanese federal government’s commitment to expand access to Paid Parental Leave to 26 weeks for Australian workers. The new scheme is a positive development which will significantly increase the overall amount of leave available while also...
Historic: paid domestic violence leave for all workers

Historic: paid domestic violence leave for all workers

All workers will have access to 10 days’ paid family and domestic violence (FDV) leave in a historic move that follows an enduring union campaign. Unions have been campaigning for paid FDV leave for more than a decade. That campaign has seen life-saving paid FDV leave...
Corporate profits driving inflation

60 days more work for same pay

On Monday, the typical Australian woman reached an unhappy milestone – the additional days after the financial year they needed to work to earn the same as a man. This year the gap is 60 days, representative of a national gender pay gap of 14.1%. The average male...
A vision for equity at work

A vision for equity at work

Taking action on gender inequity could create a $111 billion windfall for Australia, according to a new report released by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). In its Delivering Respect For Women At Work report, released ahead of this week’s Jobs Summit, the...
National Sorry Day is a time for action

National Sorry Day is a time for action

26 May is National Sorry Day, a day to remember and acknowledge the shameful mistreatment of First Nations Peoples and the Stolen Generations who were forcibly removed from their families and communities. 26 May 2022 also marks five years since the Uluru Statement...
The agenda for working women starts here

The agenda for working women starts here

With the new federal government to change the landscape for workers, our union looks forward to a positive agenda for working women. An agenda for working women includes four key union campaigns to support women’s advancement and empowerment.
IEU unites against discrimination for IDAHOBIT

Being an LGBTQI+ employee in a faith-based school

For those who identify as LGBTQI+, working in faith-based schools often includes a level of fear or distress about the impacts this may have on their working lives. Many report a sense of exhaustion at having to conceal their true selves at work, often over long...
Labor makes landmark commitment to working women

Labor makes landmark commitment to working women

A prospective Labor government would take real action on equal pay for working women, it was announced on Labour Day/May Day. Labor’s Fair Pay and Conditions for Working Women policy aims to address inequity in lower-paid, women-dominated industries such as education...
NAIDOC Week 2022

NAIDOC Week 2022

Held between Sunday, 3 July and Sunday, 10 July, NAIDOC Week 2022’s theme of Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! acknowledges First Nations Peoples’ proud history of getting up, standing up and showing up. From the frontier wars and our earliest resistance fighters to our...
National Reconciliation Week 2022

National Reconciliation Week 2022

Held annually, National Reconciliation Week (NRW) occurs between 27 May and 3 June, dates which mark historically significant milestones for First Nations People and Australia’s reconciliation journey: the 1967 referendum and the Mabo decision. Be Brave. Make Change....
Close the Gap Day 2022: Know Your Country campaign

Close the Gap Day 2022: Know Your Country campaign

As Close the Gap Day 2022 on 17 March approaches, our union encourages members to contemplate the persisting gap in outcomes between First Nations and non-First Nations Peoples. To mark the Close the Gap Day this year, we encourage IEU Chapters to take proactive and...
Government follows through on Respect@Work

Not enough: women still waiting on IWD

Today, 8 March, is International Women’s Day (IWD). While it is a day to spotlight women’s diverse voices and acknowledge their successes, it is also a time to reflect on the pervasive gender inequity that continues to impact Australian women. The Australian Council...
Chapters to mark IWD

Chapters to mark IWD

International Women’s Day (IWD) held each year on 8 March is a day to promote equality for women’s social, political and working rights. The day provides women with an opportunity to join together to discuss issues and celebrate achievements.  It is also a day that...
Eliminating gender-based violence

Eliminating gender-based violence

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of 16 days of action against gender-based violence. Gender-based violence remains endemic with 1 in 3 women experiencing abuse in their lifetime. Together, we can help...
Respect@Work lite a failure for working women

Respect@Work lite a failure for working women

The federal government has missed a landmark opportunity to address workplace harassment following the passage of its watered-down Respect@Work legislation. The legislation formed part of the government’s response to the Human Rights Commission’s 2020 Respect@Work...
Employers’ duty to protect staff from sexual harassment

Respect@Work lite leaves workers vulnerable

The federal government has missed a landmark opportunity to address workplace harassment following the passage of its watered-down Respect@Work legislation. The legislation formed part of the government’s response to the Human Rights Commission’s 2020 Respect@Work...
BOLD activists unite for change

BOLD activists unite for change

IEU women activists united online last week (Thursday, 19 August 2021) for our union’s Be BOLD For Change conference.  Connecting members from across Queensland and the Northern Territory, the conference was an important opportunity for members to talk, learn and...
NAIDOC Week Award win for IEU members

NAIDOC Week Award win for IEU members

The work and commitment of IEU members to achieve reconciliation and address issues facing our First Nations Peoples has been recognised at the 2021 QCU NAIDOC Awards. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said our union, along with our state sector colleagues at the...
NAIDOC Week – Heal Country!

NAIDOC Week – Heal Country!

NAIDOC Week 2021 will be held from Sunday, 4 July to Sunday, 11 July. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to come together to celebrate the rich history, diverse cultures and achievements of First Nations peoples...
Rushed Medicare changes to cost patients

Rushed Medicare changes to cost patients

The federal government will introduce a significant overhaul to Medicare rebates from 1 July and expose Australians to unexpected out-of-pocket medical costs. In the biggest shake-up to Medicare in a decade, more than 900 changes will be made to the Medicare Benefits...