28,07,22 | Equity, Union win
After a decade of unions campaigning for 10 days’ paid family and domestic violence leave, the new federal government has passed legislation to enshrine the right of access for all workers. While successive Coalition governments refused to support this paid...
27,05,22 | Equity, Member action
This year’s National Reconciliation Week (NRW) theme of Be Brave. Make Change is a timely one, given Australians have elected a new federal government committed to making change for First Nations Peoples. In addition to committing to implementing the Uluru Statement...
25,05,22 | Equity, Member 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...
24,05,22 | Equity
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.
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...
03,05,22 | Equity
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...
11,04,22 | Equity, Member action
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...
11,04,22 | Equity, Member action
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....
11,03,22 | Equity, Member action
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...
08,03,22 | Equity
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...
02,03,22 | Equity
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...
11,02,22 | Equity
The federal government’s flawed Religious Discrimination Bill, which would enable rather than prevent discrimination, has been abandoned at a critical juncture ahead of the upcoming federal election. In its third attempt to follow through on the promised legislation,...
01,02,22 | Equity
Our union has called on Citipointe Christian College to meet its responsibilities under the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act and ensure no student at the College is discriminated against on the basis of gender identity or sexuality. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry...
25,11,21 | Equity, Professional issues
On 25 November 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison introduced the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021. This is the third attempt by the Federal government to amend religious discrimination legislation. Do not be misled by the name of this Parliamentary Bill nor the...
23,11,21 | Equity
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...
19,11,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
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...
19,11,21 | Equity, Industrial advice, Workers' rights
The new Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Act 2021 (the Act) aims to combat the prevalence of sexual harassment in Australia by clarifying and simplifying sexual harassment laws and encouraging meaningful cultural change in workplaces, as...
17,11,21 | Equity, Professional issues, Workers' rights
IEU submission calls for affordable access to childcare; measures to counter the sustained prevalence of discrimination and gendered violence in communities and workplaces; and addressing women’s particular vulnerability to social and economic hardship. IEU-QNT Branch...
03,11,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
Image credit: Nils Versemann / Shutterstock.com A new law requiring Australian voting to show ID on election day is unjustified and could create barriers to voting for some of our most marginalised in the community. IEU Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the federal...
14,09,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
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...
24,08,21 | Equity
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...
21,07,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is again calling on the Prime Minister Scott Morrison to act on all 55 recommendations of the 2020 Respect@Work report rather than ignoring key elements which would create safer workplaces for women. More than 18 months...
09,07,21 | Equity
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...
02,07,21 | Equity, Member action
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...
17,06,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
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...
24,05,21 | Equity, Member action
As National Reconciliation Week approaches, our union continues to take meaningful steps towards reconciliation, through campaigning activities and the ongoing work of our Yubbah Action Group. Held annually, National Reconciliation Week occurs between 27 May and 3...
24,05,21 | Equity, Member action
National Sorry Day is observed annually on 26 May and is a time to remember and acknowledge the appalling mistreatment of First Nations Peoples who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’. Additionally,...
28,04,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
In the wake of the federal government’s recent failure to properly respond to the Sex Discrimination Commissioner’s Repect@Work report, the union movement has joined with gender equality advocates across Australia to make four clear demands for what should be done...
25,03,21 | Equity, Member action, Workers' rights
The move by the federal government to scrap its controversial plan to allow domestic violence survivors to access their superannuation hopefully consigns a disrespectful and offensive proposal to the bin. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said after a two-year...
24,03,21 | Equity
Thousands of Australian women and allies rallied at nationwide Marches 4 Justice against gendered violence held last week. In Brisbane, those who rallied marched from Brisbane’s King George Square to Speakers’ Corner, gathering under the shadow of Queensland’s...
19,03,21 | Equity, Member action
Today marks the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA): a day for IEU members, schools, students and the community to say Bullying. No Way! As the country’s key bullying prevention initiative, the NDA aims to connect schools and communities to find...
15,03,21 | Equity
The importance of inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic backgrounds, is the focus of this year’s Harmony Week. Harmony Week celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity, and this year’s event will run from Monday,...
09,03,21 | Equity, Member action, Workers' rights
As Close the Gap Day 2021 on 18 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...
08,03,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
A report released today by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) reinforces the serious issues faced by working women which must be urgently addressed by the federal government. Among the issues detailed in the report are increasing job and financial...
04,03,21 | Equity, Workers' rights
Prevalence of sexual harassment remains high as members continue to report abuse and harassment suffered at work. IEU Organiser and Equity Committee member Caryl Rosser said the sobering statics were a stark reminder of work that still needs to be done within the...
01,03,21 | Equity, Member action
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, often divided by national boundaries and cultural, economic and political differences with an opportunity...
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...
30,11,20 | Equity, Professional issues, Teachers
Teachers and school officers who specialise in supporting inclusive education for students with additional learning needs have key roles across all sectors of the Australian education system. IE journalist Jessica Willis talks to two IEU members and learning support...
25,11,20 | Equity, Superannuation
While Australia is in the grips of its first recession in 30 years due to COVID-19, many employers and some members of government are arguing a planned increase of the super guarantee (SG) to 12% is unaffordable. Successive coalition governments have frozen increases...
13,11,20 | Equity, Member action
Our union remains committed to the establishment of a First Nations Voice to Parliament, as outlined in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Reconciliation remains a priority for our union, as we continue to acknowledge our ethical and professional responsibility to...
12,11,20 | Equity, Member action
On 25 November every year, the world pauses to reflect on the endemic levels of violence committed against women and girls. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is an opportunity to pave the way towards change by uniting against...
12,11,20 | Equity, Member action, School support staff
As part of NAIDOC Week 2020 celebrations, our union recognises the incredible work of Far North Queensland IEU member and 2020 Thersa Nunn First Nations Member Award recipient, Patricia ‘Patsy’ Lockington. Patsy said she felt “privileged, honoured and surprised” to...
11,11,20 | Equity, Professional issues
The Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory (IEU-QNT) condemns the federal government’s shameful rejection yesterday (10 November 2020) to fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags alongside the Australian national flag in Federal...
01,10,20 | Equity, Professional issues
Bullying, harassment and violence have no place at work – yet, sadly, evidence shows these behaviours remain a problem in Australian workplaces. While there are legislative and regulatory frameworks in place that attempt to stamp out these behaviours, research...
01,07,20 | Equity, Industrial advice, Professional issues, Teachers
The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced that flexible working arrangements are more important than ever. Under the National Employment Standards (NES), which apply to all employees covered by the national workplace relations system, certain employees have the right to...
01,10,19 | Equity, Superannuation
The rate of Australian women facing financial crisis and poverty as they approach retirement is on the rise due to a failing superannuation system that leaves a majority of women with 47% less superannuation than men. Interrupted careers, lower paid jobs and part-time...
