02,05,24 | Industrial advice
Ipswich Girls Grammar School (IGGS) is seeking to force through an employer agreement already rejected by employees while staff are voting on whether to take protected industrial action. The employer agreement, as it stands, fails to address key employee issues,...
06,02,24 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Toowoomba Catholic Education and Downlands College have sought leave from the High Court of Australia to appeal against last year’s Federal Court decision that two former teachers were entitled to pay increases contained in new collective agreements despite resigning...
14,11,23 | Collective bargaining, Industrial advice, Union win
A full bench of Federal Court judges has ruled two Queensland Catholic school teachers are entitled to pay rises secured by new collective agreements despite the employees resigning before the replacement agreements took effect. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke...
31,10,23 | Industrial advice, Union win
Our union’s expert advice and support has helped two members secure successful WorkCover claims for work-related psychological injuries. IEU-QNT Industrial Officer Nick Sahlqvist said the recent cases reinforced the importance of contacting our union as early as...
31,10,23 | Industrial advice, Member action, School support staff
Our union has helped a school officer secure continuing employment status after experiencing 12 years of rolling fixed-term contracts. IEU-QNT Industrial Services Officer Mark Moorhead said our union requested that the member be granted continuing status after more...
31,10,23 | Industrial advice, Union win
An IEU member has recently received over $80,000 in backpay after receiving support from our union. IEU-QNT Industrial Services Officer Mark Moorhead said the member was working at school in Brisbane and contacted our union after several years of working more hours...
25,10,23 | Industrial advice
As we begin what will likely be a very hot summer season, IEU members should check whether they have access to natural disaster leave provisions in their collective agreement to be prepared for extreme weather events. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has declared that...
10,10,23 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Our union has seen an increase in the frequency of non-compete clauses in employment contracts. In a worrying trend, IEU-QNT Industrial Services Officer Melanie Stellmacher says employers across all sectors were increasingly using restraint-of-trade, otherwise known...
09,08,23 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Our union’s support has helped a member transition to retirement after their employer gave them incorrect advice. The member was interested in a reduction from five to three working days per week as part of a transition to retirement, as they are entitled to under...
07,08,23 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Retirement from the workforce marks an exciting and significant milestone in a worker’s lifetime, and our union is here to support members through the process. Before deciding to transition to retirement, members should carefully consider their preferred timeframes,...
18,07,23 | Industrial advice, Member action, Union win
The intervention of our union has led to several IEU members being converted from fixed-term to continuing employment status. IEU-QNT Industrial Services Officer John Tully said from 2021, a number of IEU members at a Queensland Catholic school were hired on...
07,06,23 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Our union’s advocacy has led to an employer quickly withdrawing their direction for an IEU member to undergo an independent medical examination (IME) as part of their return to work. Industrial Services Officer Melanie Stellmacher said several recent industrial cases...
30,03,23 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
The responsibility for schools to provide a psychologically safe workplace for employees may expand following the publication of Safe Work Australia’s new model code of practice Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work, as Rachel Drew and Aiyana O’Meara from Holding...
22,02,23 | Industrial advice, Union win
The support of our union has helped an IEU member secure a successful Workcover claim for an injury sustained while travelling home from work. Industrial Officer Vaishi Vigh said it was a positive outcome for the member and clearly demonstrated the difference IEU...
20,02,23 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
A Queensland Catholic school employing authority has come to our union’s attention for their repeated attempts to reduce the work hours of part-time continuing staff by issuing new contracts. IEU Industrial Services Officer Melanie Stellmacher said members should be...
07,12,22 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Starting a new job comes with dozens of small admin tasks that can slip through the cracks but could have lasting implications if not rectified, such as forgetting to let your employer know about any prior qualifications or professional experience. Under most...
07,12,22 | Industrial advice
Where a natural disaster and/or emergency occurs, our union is with our members every step of the way. Fundamentally, where members have safety concerns in the event of natural disaster or emergency, such as severe weather, they should follow the advice of emergency...
22,11,22 | Industrial advice, Union win
An IEU member has secured more than $13,000 in back pay and is now correctly classified after our union’s intervention with the employer. The Queensland-based teacher member contacted our union for assistance after suspecting they were incorrectly classified and being...
15,11,22 | Industrial advice
Members are reminded to exercise caution when it comes to participating in school camps, trips and extra-curricular activities. In 2020, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) and Industrial Court of Queensland (ICQ) upheld WorkCover’s rejection of a...
01,11,22 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Southern Cross University has been accused of denying the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) its legal right to investigate serious work health and safety issues. 82% of staff experiencing psychosocial hazards An NTEU official gave notice he would enter the...
12,10,22 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
IEU members are increasingly reporting ageist employer actions including being “pushed” towards retirement. Our union has heard from members in various sectors who believe they have been treated adversely due to their age. Members have reported: being questioned about...
13,09,22 | Industrial advice
Taking periods of leave without pay or leave on half pay during the year can affect holiday pay over Christmas. As a result, members need to be aware of how to check whether they have received the correct amount of pay.
13,09,22 | Industrial advice
With the new year approaching, new timetables are being organised and set in every school, so it’s important to know your rights when it comes to Hours of Duty. Most of our members work under a collective agreement which offers much greater benefits than the Award,...
01,09,22 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Our union has recently supported a number of IEU members with psychological injuries through WorkCover claims, particularly in high-risk educational workplaces. IEU Industrial Officer Melanie Stellmacher said no matter the workplace, employers owe a duty of care to...
31,08,22 | Industrial advice, Union win
Over $1.3 million in payments have been returned to members in the past financial year. IEU-QNT’s industrial team secured the $1,307,750 sum across a range of cases related to unfair dismissals, redundancies, underpayments and other settlements. Key cases included:...
15,07,22 | Industrial advice, Union win, Workers' rights
IEU membership has made the difference in the face of an increasing number of employers who have refused safe work for pregnant employees. IEU-QNT Industrial Services Officer Michael Featherstone said safe job protections provided critical support for pregnant...
28,04,22 | Industrial advice, Member benefits, Union win, Workers' rights
An employer’s attempt to seek an IEU member’s medical information from their treating practitioner has been stopped thanks to support from our union. IEU-QNT Industrial Services Officer Jill McKeon said the member who had been absent from work due to illness for some...
03,03,22 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Flooding and severe weather in South East Queensland continue to pose a significant threat to community safety. Dozens of schools from northern Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Bundaberg areas have today been advised to have students collected by parents....
01,03,22 | Industrial advice
Our union’s dispute with Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) over the decision to reopen schools today was subject to a conference in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) earlier this afternoon. The dispute was filed urgently late last night after BCE determined to reopen...
01,03,22 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
Our union filed an urgent dispute late last night with the industrial umpire – the Fair Work Commission (FWC) – over Brisbane Catholic Education’s decision to reopen the majority of schools today Tuesday, 1 March 2022. IEU Chapters should meet urgently today to...
28,02,22 | Industrial advice
While South East Queensland continues to endure the current flood emergency, essential workplace arrangements can be confirmed right now to help support employees and safeguard our school communities. This weather event will have long-lasting impacts on countless IEU...
27,02,22 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
The Queensland Government has made the decision to close all state schools across Metropolitan Brisbane and the South East as well as some schools in the North Coast and Darling Downs South West regions due to the flood situation. The schools are those that fall into...
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...
03,11,21 | Industrial advice, Member action, Union win
A member who required surgery following an injury sustained in the workplace has been back paid close to $18,000 of sick leave and vacation leave thanks to the assistance of our union. Industrial Services Officer Tameeka Stewart said on the advice of their employer,...
17,06,21 | Industrial advice, Member action, Workers' rights
Queensland Catholic school members will now have a refined unsatisfactory performance management process after our union met with the employers over reports ‘informal chats’ were being used to start formal unsatisfactory performance management procedures. Members have...
25,03,21 | Industrial advice, Workers' rights
School camps and excursions are back after a hiatus; however, significant risks still remain for staff participating in extra-curricular activities. The outcome of a controversial court decision made in 2019 means school staff must make personal risk assessments in...
12,02,21 | Early childhood, Industrial advice
The federal government’s failure to address the future of Universal Access funding means Australia’s early childhood education (ECE) sector remains in a tenuous position. The Productivity Commission’s recently released Report on Government Services (ROGS) series...
12,02,21 | Industrial advice, Union win
Our union has helped a member secure a continuing position in her workplace after being employed for 10 years on rolling contracts. IEU-QNT Industrial Officer Danielle Wilson said the member contacted our union for advice after feeling she was being overlooked for...
03,12,20 | Collective bargaining, Industrial advice, Workers' rights
The federal government’s plan to change the better off overall test (BOOT) as part of sweeping industrial relations reforms would put the working future of all Australians at risk. During a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday (2 December 2020), Australian...
03,12,20 | Industrial advice, School support staff
Grassroots collective power was out in full force recently, as an IEU School Chapter rallied around a support staff member being made redundant; the staff member ended up successfully being redeployed to another position as well as receiving full redundancy...
03,12,20 | Collective bargaining, Industrial advice, Member action
Our union has today (3 December 2020) taken the extraordinary step of taking the Toowoomba Catholic Education Office and Downlands College to the Federal Court following their respective failures as employers to provide backpay to a number of employees. The case...
12,11,20 | Industrial advice, Member action, Teachers
An IEU member in a Queensland Catholic School is fighting for a full-time permanent position, after working the same hours in the same role on a fixed-term contract for a number of years. The member in question has been a teacher, working in a school for the past four...
12,10,20 | Industrial advice, Workplace Health and Safety (WHS)
The rate of workplace deaths has increased for the first time since 2007, according to recently released data from Safe Work Australia, as the federal government continues to drag its feet on work health and safety reform. 183 workers died during 2019, 28 more than in...
19,09,20 | Industrial advice
The advice and support of our union has proved critical in having a member’s WorkCover claim rejection overturned. IEUA-QNT Industrial Officer Danielle Wilson said the recent case served as a reminder that even if employers are unopposed to or supportive of an...
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...
01,07,20 | Industrial advice
Despite the professionalism and dedication our members continue to demonstrate through their work, our union continues to see instances of employers treating their staff unfairly. Actions like “redundancy by stealth” are especially disappointing given the extreme...
