All news
Schools on notice over co-curricular payments
A recent Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) ruling on underpayment of ‘voluntary’ co-curricular work at St Peters Lutheran College means all non-government schools making such payments are now on notice.
Temporary contracts, long-term problems
A recent survey of 18,000 members of the NSW Teachers’ Federation regarding their workload and experiences teaching, has further reinforced the importance of our union’s ongoing work in fighting back against fixed-term contracts and abolishing precarious working arrangements.
Mathematical Playworld: where imagination and numbers collide
A new pedagogical approach, designed by researchers from Monash University, sheds light on how to effectively support young children’s maths learning through a play-based program. Early childhood education experts agree children should enter their formal schooling...
Strong bodies, strong minds
We want young children to grow up with strong, active and happy bodies and minds, writes Bedrock journalist Jessica Willis.
Accessing natural disaster leave
In the last 24 hours, emergency alerts have been issued to parts of Queensland, including for Inglewood and Leyburn. 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 services and advise their workplace accordingly.
Religious Discrimination Bill enables workplace discrimination
Proposed legislation allows discrimination, rather than protects against it.
Eliminating gender-based violence
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.
$2.3m recovered for IEU members in last two years
Across 2020-21, our union has continued to make a difference for IEU members – recovering compensation, underpayments and allowances.
Fighting for our future: why current IR policy needs to change
Despite rising levels of insecure work, Australians working multiple jobs to survive and collective bargaining legislation that continues to provide employers with the balance of power, the current federal government shows little intention to consider industrial relations (IR) policy which would address this reality.
Respect@Work lite a failure for working women
The federal government has missed a landmark opportunity to address workplace harassment following the passage of its watered-down Respect@Work legislation.
Employers’ duty to protect staff from sexual harassment
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 Holding Redlich’s Rachel Drew writes.
Federal agenda puts super futures at risk
The Australian super system is, at its heart, an enduring victory for workers, something the current federal government has done its best to undermine.
Member contributions celebrated
Our union’s annual Excellence Awards were presented to recipients at the 2021 IEU-QNT AGM, recognising the contributions of some of our most active members.
Protecting supervising teachers priority as practicum payment negotiations begin
Protecting supervising teachers from workload increases related to new models of preservice teacher practicum as well as ensuring payments meet benchmark standards are the priority matters for our union and the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) as practicum payment negotiations begin.
Members’ voice heard on NCCD: Too long, too much and too little
Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Paul Giles reflects on the recent survey undertaken by our union regarding the implementation of Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) across Queensland and Northern Territory schools during 2021.
Are you suffering from information overload?
Information overload was a buzz phrase before the internet, before messaging, the 24/7 news cycle, social media, analytics, keyboard tracking, UX design, LinkedIn,and PowerPoint.
Voicing concerns: speaking up about vocal injury in teachers
Global research reveals up to 30% of teachers will experience a voice problem at some stage of their career, creating the need to educate teachers on how to protect and preserve their voices, as journalist Emily Campbell writes.
Power of shared reading in vocabulary development
Early childhood education experts and researchers agree: vocabulary development is considered foundational to young children’s language and literacy learning, journalist Emily Campbell writes.
IEU contributes to new Queensland Women’s Strategy
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.
Members’ voices heard on new NT Education Engagement Strategy
The Northern Territory (NT) government has unveiled the new Education Engagement Strategy 2022-2031, which aims to improve educational outcomes for young Territorians over the next 10 years.
Building collegial communities: 2022 IEU Mentoring Program
Our union recognises that quality mentoring provides crucial support for beginning teachers, although unfortunately, mentoring is not always readily accessible in schools.
Federal government voter ID laws threaten to silence most marginalised
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.
$5 billion in superannuation stolen from workers
3 million Australian workers have had $5 billion in superannuation stolen by employers according to a recently released Industry Super Australia report.
$18k backpay for member following IEU assistance
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.
Members set new super benchmark
Members at Brisbane Girls Grammar School (BGGS) have won benchmark-setting super entitlements in their recent collective bargaining negotiations.
Collective voice driving bargaining outcomes
IEU members are driving widespread enhancements to employment conditions in the non-government sector despite a challenging bargaining system.
$3k employer error corrected after IEU assistance
Action by our union’s expert Industrial Services team has saved a member thousands of dollars after their employer incorrectly requested reimbursement.
Financial products fail performance test
Australian Catholic Super and Christian Super have failed the financial regulator’s initial performance test of their MySuper financial products.
Everyone should be safe at work
All workers have a right to be safe at work, not just from physical injuries but also from work-related psychological injuries and poor mental health.
Education’s psychological strain must be addressed
As the national focus turns to psychological wellbeing for Mental Health Week (9-17 October), workers in the education industry continue to face high rates of psychological strain.
IEU action results in pay increase for kindergarten teacher wrongly classified
A kindergarten teacher member who recently joined our union after commencing a new job has received an increase in pay (and relevant back payment) thanks to an observant IEU officer.
IEU Chapters take action on NCCD workload
Over a third of IEU Chapters completed our union’s NCCD Workload survey within the first 24 hours of its launch earlier this week, indicating members’ desire to act on unreasonable workload demands.
More workers eligible to convert to secure jobs
More workers are eligible to convert from casual to ongoing employment following legislative changes made in the wake of a union campaign for secure jobs.
Time to #ThankQldTeachers this World Teachers’ Day
Queensland will celebrate World Teachers’ Day this year on Friday, 29 October with school communities across the state encouraged to #ThankQldTeachers.
IEU activists in the spotlight
Nominations are now open for our union’s annual Member Awards, which are held each year to recognise the dedication and contribution of outstanding IEU-QNT member activists.
Paid leave makes crucial difference during pandemic
The action taken by IEU members to secure paid pandemic leave in many of our workplaces has made a crucial difference during this health crisis.
Principals continue to face workplace violence and burnout
Over the past ten years, school leaders have faced an increasing rate of bullying, physical violence, threats of violence, slander, sexual and verbal harassment.
Talent shines in Art Design Awards and Literary Competition
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our union continues to support and foster the creative talents of students across Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Government presides over insecure work shame
Job security is intrinsically linked to workers’ wellbeing, yet the rate of secure employment continues to decline.
Respect@Work lite leaves workers vulnerable
The federal government has missed a landmark opportunity to address workplace harassment following the passage of its watered-down Respect@Work legislation.
Major win for McCain workers
After facing two unlawful lockouts, McCain workers in Tasmania have secured a major win on their wages and conditions.
Discussions continue on school officer classification
The school officer classification structure review for Queensland Catholic schools continues, with both school and member-based
trials of a proposed-new model now undertaken.
IEUA speaks on Quality Initial Teacher Education Review
Our federal office has raised the voices of our 75,000 members across the country in the federal government’s review into quality Initial Teacher Education (ITE).
NCCD survey shines spotlight on workloads
The significant workload and work intensification caused by the NCCD as well as subsequent stress for members, is the focus of a new IEU survey.
HALT certification renewal: member concerns raised
Our union has been engaged in consultation with The Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) regarding proposed new policy and guidelines for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) certification renewal in Queensland.
Northern Territory Teacher Registration Board (TRB) update
Representation of our union on the Norther Territory Teacher Registration Board (TRB) is crucial to ensuring the voices of members are heard regarding the professional concerns they face.
NT member input sought on the effects of violent student behaviour
Northern Territory members are invited to participate in a project conducted by Charles Darwin University researchers on the effects of violent student behaviours on teacher wellbeing.
Federal government fails to protect Australian workers
Despite millions of Australians in lockdown due the Federal Government’s failed vaccination rollout, Scott Morrison and his government are continuing to reject calls to make paid vaccine leave available to all workers. The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is...
Member action leads to priority COVID-19 vaccinations
IEU member action has played a key role in securing priority vaccinations for education in Queensland.
Café 63 fined after serving up wage theft
Penalties of $170,000 have been imposed on the owners of Café 63 following an investigation into wage theft that included paying staff in food and drink.
BOLD activists unite for change
IEU women activists united online last week for our union’s Be BOLD For Change conference.
Union making a difference to rates of insecure work
Our union continues our campaign on reducing insecure work in the non-government education sector, by taking on improper use of fixed-term contracts in the Queensland Catholic sector.
Employer revokes redundancy payments: our union takes action
An attempt by Blackheath and Thornburgh College to revoke their redundancy payments for staff has been rejected in the Fair Work Commission (FWC) thanks to IEU member action.
Celebrating strong leadership on National Primary Principals’ Day
Today our union celebrates National Primary Principals’ Day, thanking members for the contribution they make as school leaders each and every day.
Catholic Cairns member recognised
An IEU-QNT member has been acknowledged for her outstanding contribution to the Queensland Catholic education community as part of the 2021 Spirit of Catholic Education Awards.
Respect@Work recommendations continue to be ignored
The Australian Council of Trade Union (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.
IEU members campaign for paid vaccination leave
Australia’s perilously delayed COVID-19 vaccine rollout is placing significant pressure on schools and the wellbeing of students and staff.
Wage freeze looms for NT Catholic school members
IEU-QNT members employed in Northern Territory Catholic schools are outraged and concerned at the prospect of facing a wage freeze, which will have major financial implications for staff working in the sector.
Union voice remains strong for 50 years of teacher registration
2021 is a milestone year for education in Queensland, as the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) celebrates 50 years since the establishment of the Board of Teacher Education and the beginning of the development of a teacher registration framework in Queensland.
Anglican members waiting on workload and wages clarity
Negotiations for the new Queensland Anglican schools collective agreement are at a critical stage, with members called upon to give urgent feedback on final workload and wage issues.
NAIDOC Week Award win for IEU members
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.
NAIDOC Week – Heal Country!
NAIDOC Week 2021 will be held from Sunday, 4 July to Sunday, 11 July.
Lodging your tax return made easy
Teaching and educational support staff incur many expenses throughout the financial year which can be claimed as a deduction, but these can be tricky to navigate.
NT Education Engagement Strategy needs First Nations’ input
Ensuring the input of First Nations members in the Northern Territory (NT) government’s newly announced Education Engagement Strategy will be a priority for our union.
Education suffers from period pain
A new study has revealed the impact menstrual disorders and period pain is having on the education of young women, as journalist Jessica Willis writes.
Thinking long-term: why we need to reduce excessive demands on early-career teachers
Excessive demands placed on early-career teachers have damaging, long-term impacts on their classroom management according to a new Australian study, writes IE journalist Jessica Willis.
What the National Workforce Strategy needs to get right
As many IEU members will know, our union has been involved in consultations arranged by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) on the new National Workforce Strategy, set to be endorsed and published by the end of 2021. Journalist Jessica Willis explains what the strategy needs to get right.
Disrupting ableism in picture books
There’s a need for more books featuring strength-based representations of people with a disability, journalist Emily Campbell writes.
Supporting students living with parental mental illness
A recent study by Monash University researchers into Parental Mental Illness discusses strategies found to assist when working with children who have mentally ill parents.
Initial Teacher Education developments continue to be monitored
Our union continues to monitor the initial teacher education (ITE) space, a topic which remains subject to much debate at all levels of government.
Meeting with QLD Education minister conveys members current concerns
Our union continues to make a difference to the professional lives of members through our direct advocacy to Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace.
ACARA’s proposed new curriculum would increase teacher workloads
Our union alongside the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) continues to raise significant concerns to the Queensland Education Minister and the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) regarding ACARA’s Prep-Year 10 Australian Curriculum Review.
Members celebrate Careers You Can Count On
The vital role school support staff play in education and the ways in which our union is working to ensure they have careers they can count on was recognised as part of recent School Officer Day celebrations held on Wednesday, 9 June.
New super laws put retirements at risk
The federal government claims its Your Super, Your Future bill, which recently passed the lower house, will save workers $17.2 billion over the next decade.
IEUA assistance for Timor-Leste union farming communities
Our union, through its federal body, the IEUA, has continued its longstanding support of the developing country of Timor-Leste, recently donating funds through Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA to the Strengthening and Supporting Rural Farmers Organisations project in the country.
Rushed Medicare changes to cost patients
The federal government will introduce a significant overhaul to Medicare rebates from 1 July and expose Australians to unexpected out-of-pocket medical costs.
Work shouldn’t hurt: new ACTU survey to better address unsafe workplaces
While the Australian union movement continues its lengthy history of campaigning against unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, sadly, many workers across different industries are still subjected to a range of health and safety risks.
Members take action over performance management issues
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.
14-day contracts used by NT Catholic employer
In an outrageous instance of fixed-term contract misuse, our union has been made aware of a Northern Territory Catholic employer hiring casual school officers on contracts which are described as being just 14 days in length.
Members fight back against insecure work
IEU-QNT members are continuing the fight against the insidious threat of insecure work by taking action to prevent the misuse of fixed-term contracts in their workplaces.
Instrumental music instructors denied recognition and respect
The working conditions of instrumental music instructors across Queensland continue to be left in limbo thanks to employer inaction.
Employers reject primary PCT changes
Queensland Anglican employers have rejected any changes to Preparation and Correction Time (PCT) for primary school teachers as current collective bargaining negotiations continue.
Digital parent-teacher meetings result in rise of abuse reports
Our union is calling for school employers and leadership teams to ensure there are clear policies and expectations of parents and/or carers when engaging with school staff through online meetings.
Members to have say on voice for the profession
IEU members in Queensland have the opportunity to ensure their voice is heard on the state’s professional regulatory body with Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) Board now underway.
National recognition for workers’ mental health
Workers’ mental health has received historic recognition, following a move to regulate psychosocial hazards under national workplace health and safety (WHS) laws.
Workers win as Community Development Program abandoned
Pressure from the First Nations Workers Alliance (FNWA) and the broader union movement has seen the federal government scrap the harmful Community Development Program (CDP).
Celebrating National Reconciliation Week 2021: More than a word. Reconciliation takes action
With National Reconciliation Week approaching, our union continues to take meaningful steps towards reconciliation, through campaigning activities and the ongoing work of our Yubbah Action Group.
National Sorry Day 2021
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’.
IEU recovers $3.9m in underpayments and compensation for members
In just the last two years alone, our union has recovered more than $3.9m in underpayments, allowances and compensation for members through the work of our expert industrial team and IEU organisers.
IEU stands in solidarity with School Strike 4 Climate
Our union, along with our colleague education unions nationally, stands in solidarity with students who are taking part in the upcoming School Strike 4 Climate on Friday, 21 May 2021.
Budget funding falls short for early childhood education
The federal government’s $1.6 billion funding commitment for early childhood education over the next four years is a start, but more is required to secure the future of the sector.
Federal government’s ten-year plan puts profession at risk
A new review into initial teacher education (ITE) launched by Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge, the first step in the government’s ten-year plan to “put Australia back on top for student academic performance” is at its heart an attack on the teaching profession.
Questioning the questioner: what story is ACER trying to tell?
An infographic may seem a ubiquitous way to easily tell a story in today’s world, but the reason behind why that story is being told still requires careful attention.
ECE members encouraged to complete national workforce survey
Our union is encouraging all early childhood education members to ensure that appropriate pay and working conditions are at the forefront of the new National Workforce Strategy by completing the online feedback survey.
Connecting with families using social media
Building trusted communication and collaboration between teachers, staff and families is essential in early childhood education – in fact, it is part of the National Quality Framework (NQF) due to its significant impact on children’s emotional and physical development.
Navigating NAPLAN
Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Paul Giles writes about the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), how the early problems associated with the program remain and how various review recommendations will not address issues identified by IEU members.
Working in a post-COVID-19 world
Having quickly adapted to unprecedented working conditions in 2020, the experiences and voice of teachers must form an integral part of understanding the professional and industrial implications of working in a post COVID-19 world.
Members march to celebrate what makes us #IEUnionStrong
IEU members from across Queensland and the Northern Territory came together over the long weekend to celebrate Labour Day/May Day, after celebrations were cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal government failure to make workplaces safer condemned
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 immediately to make workplaces safer.
Members set to celebrate #IEUnionStrong as Labour Day/May Day events return
After last year’s pause due to the pandemic, IEU members will join together to celebrate all the ways we are #IEUnionStrong this coming Labour Day /May Day long weekend (1-3 May 2021).