19,11,24 | Equity
The gender pay gap is closing three times faster under the current government, a new report has found. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Minding the Gap report, released on Tuesday (19 November 2025) to mark Equal Pay Day, attributed accelerated progress...
18,11,24 | Equity, Professional issues
Women applying for leadership roles in Australian schools are more likely to face personal, social and systemic obstacles than men, according to new research. An Australian Catholic University (ACU) study highlighted the significant underrepresentation of women in...
18,11,24 | Equity, Workplace Health and Safety (WHS)
More than a quarter of employers are not monitoring the prevalence of work-related sexual harassment, according to the first wave of reporting data since the introduction of “positive duty” Respect@Work laws. Introduced in 2022, a “positive duty” requires employers...
21,10,24 | Equity, Superannuation
Menopause is forcing thousands of Australian women out of the workforce early, leaving a devastating indent in their superannuation balances. One in seven (7) Australian women face a superannuation penalty as they transition out of the workforce due to menopause,...
11,09,24 | Equity
Australian unions are stepping up their campaign to secure 10 days of paid reproductive health leave in all workplaces. The It’s For Every Body campaign is fighting to expand the National Employment Standards and Fair Work Act to include reproductive health leave and...
18,06,24 | Equity, Workers' rights
The Independent Education Union—Queensland and Northern Territory (IEU-QNT) Branch has expressed deep disappointment over the failure to remove religious discrimination exemptions for faith-based schools in the revised Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act. IEU-QNT...
22,03,24 | Equity
Our community expects that employers can’t lawfully discriminate due to an employee’s sex, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy – yet special privileges continue to be granted to faith-based schools. IEU Federal Secretary Brad Hayes said the federal...
20,03,24 | Equity
Thursday 21st March marks Close the Gap Day 2024, and our union encourages members to contemplate the persisting gap in outcomes between First Nations and non-First Nations Peoples. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke, caretaker of our union’s Reconciliation Action...
20,03,24 | Equity
New laws to increase Australia’s government-funded paid parental leave to 26 weeks were passed in the Senate this week, a significant win for working families. Parents currently have access to 20 weeks of paid parental leave, but under the changes, that amount will...
19,03,24 | Equity, Workers' rights
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has outlined a suite of changes needed to improve Australia’s employment Awards to better reflect the needs of a contemporary workforce. Awards are the legal documents that outline the minimum pay rates and conditions of...
12,03,24 | Equity, Member action, Workers' rights
The Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) is calling for new laws that provide up to 10 days of paid leave for workers to treat and manage conditions related to reproductive health. QCU General Secretary Jacqueline King said the It’s For Every Body campaign wants new...
07,03,24 | Equity, Union win, Workers' rights
Australian unions have welcomed the federal government’s announcement that superannuation will be paid on top of government paid parental leave from 1 July 2025. Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Assistant Secretary Joseph Mitchell said the paying of...
28,02,24 | Equity
IEU-QNT Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Paul Giles writes regarding the negative impact on the profession when educators who either are non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) and/or other educators who don’t reflect the norm of Australian society (for whatever...
27,02,24 | Equity
A new report reveals that some of Australia’s largest and most well-known employers are paying their women employees up to 40% less than male employees. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) gender pay gap report has revealed for the first time data reflecting...
27,02,24 | Beginning Educators (BEnet), Equity, Teachers
The IEU-QNT has endorsed the Federal Government’s Universities Accord Final Report recommendation to reduce financial pressure on teaching students by introducing paid practicum. The review backs long-running calls from unions and academics for students to be...
23,11,23 | Equity, Member action
25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which also marks the beginning of 16 days of action against gender-based violence. IEU-QNT Assistant Secretary Nicole Kapernick said members were taking action to help create a world...
31,10,23 | Equity
Sexual harassment in higher education workplaces has risen more than 52%, according to a new National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) survey. The NTEU recently released the preliminary findings of its 2023 survey on sexual harassment, sexism, and gender-based bias in...
31,10,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
In a significant step towards promoting family well-being and gender equality in the workforce, the Australian government has introduced legislation to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks by 2026. IEU-QNT Assistant Secretary Rebecca Sisson said the landmark move...
25,10,23 | Equity, Reconciliation
Union members fight for change every day in their workplaces, industries, professions and communities. As unionists, we know our campaigns often come up against powerful interests determined to block such progress. Terry Burke, IEU-QNT Branch Secretary, said the...
28,08,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
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...
28,11,22 | Equity
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...
27,10,22 | Equity, Union win
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...
17,05,22 | Equity
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...
01,03,21 | Equity, Professional issues
Instruction in First Languages offers a unique opportunity to preserve and reinvigorate Australia’s First Languages, many of which are highly endangered, and our union has formally committed to a course of work designed to support First Language programs in...
