New laws to increase Australia’s government-funded paid parental leave to 26 weeks were passed in the Senate this week, a significant win for working families.
Increased paid parental leave will help tackle gender pay gap
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QCT Board Election 2024: IEU member nominations sought
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 election now underway.
Award system lets down women and carers
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.
Child Protection workers forced to stop work
NSW Child Protection workers, who answer after-hours hotline calls from the public reporting at-risk kids, stopped work for two hours this week over chronic overwork, arbitrary staff suspensions and unreasonable workplace directives.
Reproductive health is a union issue
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.
High Court dismisses employer backpay challenge
Toowoomba Catholic Education and Downlands College unsuccessfully sought to challenge a decision of the Federal Court.
Super on paid parental leave historic step towards gender equity
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.
IEU/QTU AI Decision-Making Framework updated
An updated version of the AI and Digital Technologies in Education Decision-Making Framework is now available for members.
Teacher workload & staff retention must be part of NRSA solution
Federal Secretary Brad Hayes said a failure to address excessive teacher workloads may doom many of the proposed reforms to fail.
IEU feedback on Queensland’s Putting Queensland Kids First plan
Our union has lodged a submission to inform the development of the Putting Queensland Kids First early intervention package.
Queensland education unions Closing the Industrial Gap
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.
New ATPDF advisories online
Our union has released a range of member advisories on the updated version of AITSL’s ATPDF.
Addressing the barriers non-native English-speaking teachers face
Paul Giles writes regarding the negative impact of non-native English-speaking teachers being marginalised.
AI in schools: what it means legally
David Quinn, Special Counsel at Holding Redlich, examines where Australia’s legal response is up to when it comes to the AI race.
Workers’ wages finally rising
Australian unions have welcomed news working people’s wages are finally rising after years of going backwards.
Historic report reveals shameful gender pay gap
A new report reveals that some of Australia’s largest and most well-known employers are paying their women employees up to 40% less than male employees.
Members’ voice must be heard on early childhood teacher registration
IEU member feedback will be critical as the Northern Territory (NT) government seeks feedback on options for extending the teacher registration scheme in the Territory to early childhood teachers (ECT) working in non-school early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings.
Greater investment needed to tackle disruptive student behaviour
Our union has welcomed the federal government’s investment in a range of free, evidence-based resources designed to help tackle disruptive behaviour in school classrooms.
New QCAA academic integrity toolkit
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has released a new toolkit to help teachers educate students about the concept of academic integrity and reinforce its importance.
Paid practicum crucial for future of teaching profession
The IEU-QNT has endorsed the Federal Government’s Universities Accord Final Report recommendation to reduce financial pressure on teaching students by introducing paid practicums.
IEU support secures over $5000 in backpay
An early childhood education member has successfully secured over $5,000 in backpay as a result of IEU support.
TUH Future of Teaching Bursary recipient announced
IEU member David Page-Dhu has been recognised as the recipient of the 2023 TUH Future of Teaching Bursary.
Celebrating the difference our many IEU members make
Our union’s most outstanding activists were presented with IEU Member Awards at 2023 Annual General Meeting – recognising their significant contributions to our collective.
Teacher exchange in 2024
IEU members employed in Brisbane, Cairns and Toowoomba Catholic schools or Queensland Anglican schools can participate in a fortnight-long teacher exchange to Alberta, Canada.
Labour Day/May Day celebrations 2024
In 2024, Labour Day/May Day celebrations will take place across the long weekend of 4-6 May.
‘Right to disconnect’ a key win for education workers
Our union has welcomed and commended the ‘right to disconnect’ being enshrined in legislation as part of the Closing Loopholes Bill.
Loopholes closed as major wins for Australian workers pass Parliament
The cumulative effect of these legislative reforms represents the biggest changes to workplace laws in the last 25 years.
Toowoomba members show the way on workload
IEU members working in Toowoomba Catholic primary schools are leading by example to make use of important new provisions to tackle workload.
Catholic employers seek High Court appeal against employee backpay
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 before the increases took effect.
Member win on parental leave provisions
IEU members at Mancel College have welcomed a new collective agreement offering improved paid parental leave provisions.