Union Women Celebrate International Women’s Day with Groundbreaking Reforms

As 75,000 IEU members and their families gear up to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8, 2024, the event holds special significance for union women across Australia.

This year’s IWD serves as a moment to pause and acknowledge the remarkable accomplishments of women in the pursuit of greater equity, fairness, and social inclusion while also recommitting to advancing change for women and girls worldwide.

Union women, constituting 72% of the IEU, have spearheaded campaigns that resulted in pivotal reforms supporting women in the workplace, including securing rights to flexible work and facilitating multi-employer bargaining in sectors predominantly staffed by women, such as early childhood education.

The IEU’s efforts have led to new regulations limiting the use of fixed-term contracts, a significant victory for members facing job insecurity, particularly the thousands of women in schools caught in precarious short-term contracts.

Members of the IEU applaud the federal government’s decision to mandate superannuation payments on government-funded parental leave, a crucial measure to combat retirement financial challenges experienced by many female workers, building on gains achieved through union collective bargaining.