29,05,26 | Union win
Teachers’ voice through their unions will be heard in review of proposed central education authority. Last November, federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced plans to establish the Teaching and Learning Commission (TLC). The proposal would see The Australian...
26,05,26 | Union win
Reconciliation Australia is calling all Australians to take action, not just this National Reconciliation Week but every single day. National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is held annually from 27 May to 3 June. The respective dates commemorate two significant milestones...
26,05,26 | Teachers, Union win
Our union has assisted a teacher member in clearing their name and maintaining employment after accusations of inappropriate physical contact with students, which were found to be unsubstantiated. IEU-QNT Industrial Services Officer Byron Dettl said the teacher who...
26,05,26 | Union win, Workers' rights
Australian Unions have welcomed an important ruling from the International Court of Justice affirming the right to strike for workers worldwide and have renewed the call to reform Australia’s unbalanced protected industrial action laws. The Court published a legal...
05,05,26 | Member action, Member benefits, Union win, Workers' rights
Labour Day and May Day events across Queensland and the Northern Territory drew significant attendance from union members and their families. IEU members joined events in Alice Springs, Bowen, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Darwin, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Maryborough,...
25,03,26 | Union win
Experienced mentor and classroom teacher Jessica Prouten shares the core principles at the heart of her classroom management. Research has identified classroom management as one of the most challenging aspects of teaching in Australia – particularly for early career...
10,03,26 | Union win
Australian Unions are campaigning for 10 days of paid reproductive health leave (RHL) to be included in the National Employment Standards (NES). Australian Unions are pushing the Albanese Government to introduce 10 days of paid reproductive health leave (RHL) for all...
10,03,26 | Member benefits, Union win
An IEU member who suspected they were being underpaid in their role has been awarded backpay after our union’s intervention. The member, employed as a teacher at an English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) college, contacted our union...
10,03,26 | Union win
An IEU member on parental leave received backpay of $10,000 after our union stepped in to resolve an employer underpayment. Confusion over school holiday entitlements The underpayment occurred due to confusion over whether paid parental leave was exclusive of school...
09,03,26 | Member action, Union win
Representatives of our union and Lutheran Education Queensland (LEQ) met in early February for the inaugural meeting of the Joint Working Party (JWP) established under the Queensland Lutheran Schools Single Enterprise Agreement 2024. In accordance with the collective...
02,03,26 | Union win
With heavy rainfall and flooding impacting large parts of the Ingham region, we would like to remind members of the Emergency and Natural Disaster provisions included in their collective agreements due to union negotiations. We hope you are not affected but if...
12,02,26 | Member action, Teachers, Union win
A number of Queensland Catholic school teachers will receive substantial backpay after an IEU member identified they were being underpaid the Isolated Teachers Assistance Scheme (ITAS) allowance. The IEU teacher member contacted our union for advice after completing...
10,02,26 | Member action, Union win
The Fair Work Commission has denied the approval of a replacement collective agreement after IEU members at the school identified non-existent and long-departed staff were reportedly included in the voting process. IEU Industrial Services Officer John Tully said our...
09,02,26 | Union win, Workers' rights
Part-time teacher aides at a Gold Coast independent school were set to be forced into full-time roles – until IEU intervention stopped the move. The teacher aides, employed on a continuing part-time basis, received the news at the end of 2025 with the changes to take...
26,11,25 | Collective bargaining, Union win
IEU members at a Caloundra City Private School (CCPS) have achieved significant wins on workload as part of their new collective agreement. It comes after protracted negotiations, during which 100 per cent of Caloundra City Private School (CCPS) employees voted to...
17,11,25 | Member action, Union win
Our union’s most exceptional activists were presented with IEU Member Awards at last week’s 2025 Annual General Meeting – recognising their significant contributions to our collective. John (Max) MacDermott Union Activist Award John (Max) MacDermott was a respected...
10,11,25 | School support staff, Union win, Workers' rights
A member has received $6,000 in backpay after their employer recognised they had been taking on higher duties. The school officer member working in the Queensland Catholic sector had been undertaking a range of duties previously performed by a senior colleague who...
10,11,25 | Teachers, Union win
An IEU teacher member has secured an ongoing position following intervention from our union’s industrial team. The member was initially employed on a fixed-term contract to cover another teacher’s parental leave. Partway through the contract, the member noticed the...
06,11,25 | School support staff, Union win
An IEU school officer member has successfully been reclassified after their employer advertised the same job at higher pay rates. The member who works for a large employing authority said they initially believed their position was wrongly classified after speaking...
28,10,25 | Teachers, Union win
Five IEU members will be honoured for their outstanding contributions to the teaching profession as part of World Teachers’ Day 2025. Each year, the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) celebrates the achievements of some of the state’s exceptional teachers by...
27,10,25 | Industrial advice, Member benefits, Union win, Workers' rights
Our union has secured $1,121,491 in payments and settlements for members over the past 12 months. The diligent work of the IEU industrial team in upholding members’ rights at work made all the difference across a range of key cases, including: $60,000 in a pre-court...
14,10,25 | Collective bargaining, Early childhood, Union win
Creche and Kindergarten (C&K) branch centre employees across Queensland have had their say and overwhelmingly voted no to their employer’s plan for outdated working conditions. Last month, teachers and assistants at over 140 C&K kindergartens rejected their...
14,10,25 | Union win, Workers' rights
The absence of disputes regarding the right to disconnect laws, one year after they came into effect, indicates the legislation is functioning as intended and benefiting Australian workers. Analysis by the Centre for Future Work has found that since right to...
14,10,25 | Collective bargaining, Union win
Australian workers are reaping the benefits of sweeping industrial relations reforms introduced by the federal Labor government, with a record number of workers now covered by collective bargaining agreements. A new report shows a record 2.8 million workers in...
04,09,25 | Union win, Workers' rights
It pays to check as one IEU member recently discovered after a conversation with their organiser led to a reclassification and $11,000 in backpay. After speaking with their IEU Organiser, a teacher member in the Queensland Catholic sector realised an incorrect...
19,08,25 | Collective bargaining, Union win
IEU members at a Queensland independent school are celebrating after staff overwhelmingly voted to endorse the school’s first ever collective agreement. The wage outcome secured by members provides a 3 per cent annual increase for each year of the three-year...
19,08,25 | Union win
A $90 million penalty has been imposed on Qantas for the illegal sacking of 1,820 baggage handlers during the pandemic. The penalty handed down by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee yesterday marks the end of a lengthy legal battle spearheaded by the Transport Workers...
14,08,25 | Union win
Our federal union is calling for nationwide laws to protect members against tech-based harassment following the introduction of such legislation in New South Wales. IEUA Federal Secretary Brad Hayes said all states and territories in Australia should urgently adopt...
12,08,25 | Union win, Workers' rights
An IEU member received $8,000 in backpay after our union prevailed in a classification dispute in the magistrate’s court. The member was employed as a casual teacher during term-time at a special assistance school when they later realised they had been appointed at...
08,08,25 | Union win
Queensland school students with a flair for writing were celebrated on Wednesday evening (6 August) as part of the Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory (IEU-QNT) and English Teachers’ Association of Queensland’s (ETAQ) annual Literary...
04,08,25 | Collective bargaining, Union win
Employees in Queensland Lutheran schools should have now received a 5 per cent pay increase from the first full pay period in July 2025. This wage increase is much welcomed during the current cost of living crisis and was hard-won through the strength and solidarity...
29,07,25 | Union win
An IEU Chapter has won two significant changes through their Local Consultative Committee (LCC), helping to address workload pressures and boost staff collaboration. Weekly in-person briefings at the secondary Brisbane Catholic school have been converted into podcasts...
16,07,25 | School support staff, Union win
Two IEU school officer members working in different Queensland Lutheran schools have achieved pay increases after our union assisted with their reclassification applications. Organiser Nicole Lakidis said that both members had contacted our union for assistance,...
24,06,25 | Collective bargaining, Union win
IEU-QNT members at Coolum Beach Christian College (CBCC) have secured a 20% wage increase alongside other key enhancements in their new collective agreement. In addition to the pay rise over three years, key enhancements in the new agreement include: An additional pay...
03,06,25 | Collective bargaining, Union win
IEU members in PMSA schools have secured enhanced wages and conditions following recent collective bargaining negotiations. Strong member advocacy led to a wage outcome reflecting contemporary rates in the Queensland education sector including 3% annual wage...
02,06,25 | School support staff, Union win
An IEU school officer member has successfully secured a pay increase after our union assisted them in applying for reclassification. Organiser Nicole Lakidis said the member reached out for assistance from our union because they were concerned their position...
02,06,25 | Union win
Staff in Northern Territory Lutheran schools will receive significant wage increases and have access to paid reproductive health leave under their new collective agreement following a successful ballot outcome. IEU Organiser Fran Brougham said 67 per cent of...
13,05,25 | Union win, Workers' rights
A recent Fair Work Commission (FWC) case won on appeal by an IEU member in New South Wales has reinforced an aspect of an employee’s right to access flexible work. Due to amendments to the Fair Work Act introduced under the 2023 Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms,...
01,04,25 | Industrial advice, Union win
Our union’s support has resulted in a school officer being reclassified and receiving back pay after their employer wrongfully lowered the classification level of their role. The school officer member employed in a Queensland Catholic school contacted our union for...
25,03,25 | Union win, Workers' rights
Our union has helped secure a job-share arrangement for a member employed in a Queensland Lutheran school, reinforcing flexible working arrangements as a good option for employers to retain staff while assisting employees to achieve a better work/life balance. The...
25,03,25 | Collective bargaining, Union win
IEU members working at The River School in Maleny have secured significant wage enhancements as part of their first collective agreement. School staff had previously been employed under the Modern Award, which contains inferior wages and working conditions compared...
10,03,25 | Union win, Workers' rights
There are 230,000 more workers in secure jobs due to the Albanese Labour government’s industrial relations (IR) law reform. This includes our members in the non-government education sector. Nine in 10 of all jobs created during this term of government have been...
27,02,25 | Union win, Workers' rights
An IEU member recouped a near $2,000 underpayment upon resignation by taking one crucial action. After deciding to leave their teaching role with a major non-government school employer, the member provided a copy of their final payslip to our union. The IEU...
26,02,25 | Union win
Our union’s short-term teacher exchange program with the Alberta Teachers’ Association in Canada gives IEU members a unique professional development opportunity. With no visa or teaching authority requirements needed for short-term job shadowing in Alberta –...
11,02,25 | Union win
An IEU member has won a case in the Fair Work Commission of far-reaching consequence to the access to paid parental leave (PPL). At the core of the case was the question of whether an eligible employee could access both primary caregiver PPL and non-primary caregiver...
11,02,25 | Collective bargaining, Member benefits, Union win, Workers' rights
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has confirmed the number of Australian union members is rising as workers experience higher wages and a five-year high in collective agreements. Union membership has surged by an impressive 12.3% over the past two years, marking...
03,02,25 | Member benefits, Union win
An IEU member has maintained their employment after an attempt to make them redundant without redeployment. When the employer commenced a redundancy process, our member indicated that, in the event of a redundancy, they would like to be redeployed to another teaching...
20,11,24 | Member action, Union win
Our union has recognised the contributions and achievements of exceptional IEU members at the 2024 IEU-QNT Member Awards. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said our union’s annual Member Awards were an important occasion to recognise the significant difference...
20,11,24 | Union win
With the festive season quickly approaching, many members will be looking forward to their school’s end-of-year functions to commemorate a year of hard work with colleagues. While work Christmas parties can serve as a well-earned celebration and opportunity to unwind,...
19,11,24 | Union win, Workers' rights
Our union has successfully resolved a dispute with the Queensland Lutheran schools employing authority over IEU delegates’ right to communicate with staff. Lutheran Education Queensland (LEQ) refused to allow IEU delegates to communicate with all staff via email and...
