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...
29,02,24 | Reconciliation, Workers' rights
Our union and the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) have released landmark industrial guidelines to establish just and fair benchmarks for the employment of First Nations education workers. The publication of the guidelines is the latest phase in our union’s campaign...
27,02,24 | Collective bargaining, Member action, Member benefits, Union win, Workers' rights
Australian unions have welcomed news working people’s wages are finally rising after years of going backwards. It comes as the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported last week that wages rose by more than the annual inflation rate for the first time since...
20,02,24 | Workers' rights
In 2024, Labour Day/May Day celebrations will take place across the long weekend of 4-6 May. This annual event is both an important reminder not to forget those who fought hard for decent and fair working conditions in Australia, as well as a celebration of their...
15,02,24 | Union win, Workers' rights
Our union has welcomed and commended the ‘right to disconnect’ being enshrined in legislation as part of the Closing Loopholes Bill. The new laws represent a major win for IEU members facing unrelenting workloads in schools. Independent Education Union – Queensland...
09,02,24 | Union win, Workers' rights
The cumulative effect of these legislative reforms represents the biggest changes to workplace laws in the last 25 years and goes a long way to restoring fairness and a level playing field for employees. Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Sally...
06,02,24 | Collective bargaining, Member action, Workers' rights
IEU members working in Toowoomba Catholic primary schools are leading by example to make use of important new provisions to tackle workload. Darling Downs IEU Organiser Matt Kliese said it was impressive local Chapters were proactively preparing to establish the Local...
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...
06,02,24 | Union win, Workers' rights
An IEU member who had been on a fixed-term contract for three years has secured a continuing (permanent) position thanks to IEU support and changes to legislation. IEU Industrial Services Officer Mark Moorhead said the member was initially placed on another one year...
06,02,24 | Workers' rights
Elon Musk, CEO of electric car giant Tesla, is in dispute with Swedish workers and their unions after more than two months of strikes. This represents the first cases of industrial action against Tesla anywhere in the world, with ten Swedish unions so far taking...
01,02,24 | Workers' rights, Workplace Health and Safety (WHS)
Half of workers in insecure jobs have continued working while sick or injured, according to new research from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). Fifty-two per cent of respondents to the 2023 ACTU’s Work Shouldn’t Hurt Survey reportedly continued to work...
07,12,23 | Union win, Workers' rights
Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Sally McManus said the union movement welcomed the passing of major parts of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023, which comes as an early Christmas present for working people. “The...
14,11,23 | Collective bargaining, Member action, Workers' rights
The passing of new legislation that would get wages moving and help restore the rights of working people is being blocked in Parliament following a shameful campaign by big business. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Sectary Sally McManus said the Closing...
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...
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...
04,10,23 | Workers' rights
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) have called on employer lobby groups, the Federal Opposition and Crossbench Senators to remove the roadblocks they have placed in the way of the Closing Loopholes Bill advancing in Parliament. The Bill was designed to...
29,08,23 | Union win, Workers' rights
IEU members at a Queensland Catholic school have been allocated paid time to complete compulsory professional development (PD) after previously being expected to complete it in their personal time. Organiser Mary May said members at the school had, for a number of...
29,08,23 | Union win, Workers' rights
Our union’s advocacy has led to a member being paid out their long service leave (LSL) entitlement upon termination, despite the employer trying to withhold it. Industrial Services Officer Mark Moorhead said recent industrial cases where employers were trying to do...
28,08,23 | Workers' rights
Big businesses are enjoying record profits while ordinary Australians struggle to cope with crippling cost-of-living pressures. This month alone has brought announcements of a $1 billion profit for Coles (up 4.8%), a $1 billion profit for Origin Energy (up 83.5%) and...
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...
11,08,23 | Collective bargaining, Hear Our Voice, Workers' rights
In an Australian first, thousands of Queensland Catholic school employees in over 100 schools are set to lose a full day’s pay for taking a five-minute work stoppage and a range of limited work bans on Tuesday, 15 August 2023. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said...
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 | Collective bargaining, Member action, Workers' rights
Nurses employed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) in Queensland are fighting for better pay rates, with most currently receiving more than 25% less than colleagues in public and private hospitals. Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU)...
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,...
02,08,23 | Workers' rights, Workplace Health and Safety (WHS)
The tragic death of an UberEats food delivery rider in Sydney last month is a stark reminder of the need to improve safety for gig workers. Currently transport gig workers lack basic worker protections including minimum wage, sick leave, workers’ compensation or...
19,07,23 | Workers' rights
Cheque payments of 4 cents for royalty rights abound and coupled with the threat of jobs losses to the use artificial intelligence (AI), members of the Screen Actors Guild have moved to strike action. The phenomenon of actors receiving measly cheques for residual...
18,07,23 | Workers' rights
An $8 million underpayment of University of Wollongong (UOW) staff reflects a systemic culture of wage theft in the sector. UOW self-reported to the Fair Work Ombudsman after identifying underpayment of casual staff dating back to 2016. The Vice Chancellor of UOW,...
27,06,23 | Superannuation, Workers' rights
This week, the federal government passed the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting worker entitlements) Bill 2023 in parliament. The bill makes several changes aimed at improving the workplace relations framework, including the following amendments: Inserting the right to...
08,06,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
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,...
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...
07,06,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
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...
09,05,23 | Union win, Workers' rights
A McDonald’s franchisee in Murray Bridge, South Australia, has paid a fine of $275,000 after admitting to unlawfully discouraging staff from joining their union over a five-year period. The landmark case brought by the union that represents fast-food workers, the...
12,04,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
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...
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...
20,03,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
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...
16,03,23 | Collective bargaining, Workers' rights
Union members at the ABC will take strike action next week as they continue their campaign for sustainable careers and equal pay for journalists in the regions, from diverse backgrounds and women. As reported yesterday (15 March 2023) in the Brisbane Times, “more...
14,03,23 | Equity, Union win, Workers' rights
Australian unions have welcomed the Labor federal government’s action to expand access to Paid Parental Leave to 26 weeks for workers and allow it to be more flexibly shared between new parents. Last week the Senate passed the Paid Parental Leave Amendment...
07,03,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
Today, 8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD) – a global day of celebration that recognises the social, economic and political achievements of women. IWD is also a day of action, as unions continue to fight for equality and a faster rate of change to create a...
28,02,23 | Professional issues, Workers' rights
Our union has called for urgent action to address the health and wellbeing of school leaders, their staff and students in light of the alarming results of the latest Australian Principal Wellbeing survey. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the summary findings...
20,02,23 | Member action, Workers' rights
This year the Labour Day/ May Day weekend will be celebrated on 29 April – 1 May across Queensland and the Northern Territory. Labour Day (Queensland) and May Day (Northern Territory) are significant in union history. For IEU members, it is a time to come together to...
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...
20,02,23 | Reconciliation, Workers' rights
Our union’s latest Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has launched following its official endorsement by Reconciliation Australia. IEU Branch Secretary and caretaker of our union’s RAP Terry Burke said the new RAP builds on previous reconciliation work and the latest...
20,02,23 | Collective bargaining, Member action, Workers' rights
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has warned the recent case of wage theft by the University of Melbourne highlights a widespread problem within Australia’s higher education sector. According to the NTEU, a shameful and growing list of employers in the...
20,02,23 | Workers' rights
Our union is working to ensure the protection and security of workers’ data by employers in the wake of increasing data breaches and cyber-attacks in our sector and the Australian community. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said data protection was critical to...
20,02,23 | Union win, Workers' rights
With the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill now law, IEU members now have greater opportunity to bargain for better wages, have greater equity in the workplace and start to tackle insecure work. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said the passing of the Secure Jobs,...
09,02,23 | Equity, Workers' rights
Our union welcomes the federal government’s review of discrimination exceptions for faith-based schools. Independent Education Union of Australia Assistant Secretary Brad Hayes said all IEU members have a right to equality and deserve a workplace free from...
01,02,23 | Collective bargaining, Workers' rights
More than 120,000 teachers across England and Wales were expected to walk off the job this week to demand better pay and working conditions. After a decade of paltry wages in the state-funded school system and inflation reaching double digits, the National Education...
01,02,23 | Vocational Educational and Training, Workers' rights
The IEU-QNT has called for the expansion of the fee-free VET scheme to the private sector. IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said expanding the recently announced program outside the TAFE sector would further boost jobs and the economy. “The federal government’s...