IEU members win Industrial Campaign of the Year Award
IEU members have been acclaimed by Victoria’s peak trade union body for their amazing effort last year demanding fair bargaining rights from their employers.
The award was formally presented at the Labour Day dinner on Friday 1 May. The citation for the award noted that between October and December 2025, IEU Reps and members across 33 employers gathered nearly 20,000 statements of support under Closing the Loophole industrial relations reforms, and led the rejection of a direct employer offer that included a significant immediate pay rise but attempted to sidestep proper bargaining. Members overwhelmingly rejected that shortcut in favour of a fair process.
IEU Secretary General David Brear said every member who signed and spoke about the union’s application for a single interest authorisation (SIA) to a non-member colleague should feel proud that the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) had recognised their fantastic efforts with the award.
“In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, members rejected an employer effort to bypass fair bargaining with a so-called “offer”. Not only did they see through this cynical effort from their employer, they campaigned brilliantly to gain support for the SIA from non-members.”
Employers who thought they could brush past members’ desire for the same bargaining rights as nearly all other Australian workers have proved sadly mistaken. Despite employers delaying and contesting the SIA application at every turn, the IEU continues its strong case in the Fair Work Commission, with a hearing scheduled for June.
And with colleagues in state schools shifting their employer on a deal, IEU members are being vindicated for staying the course and fighting for their rights, and for a fair wage rise.
ACTU Secretary Sally McManus speaking at the IEU Rep Training Day at Trades Hall.
ACTU support
At the Rep Training Day at Trades Hall in Carlton in March, Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), said the IEU’s work on SIA had important implications beyond education.
She described the campaign as “a beautiful prize” to pass on to other workers who will follow the union’s example.
“It was so wrong that you couldn’t take industrial action. We’re all committed to absolutely seeing you win. You are passing on to the people coming behind you. Thank you, because all workers in Australia will benefit from what you are doing.”
David said the campaign has strengthened member engagement and vividly demonstrated the effectiveness of collective action.
“It’s not over yet – and every member needs to stay committed to the fight – but this campaign has shown that staff trust the union – members and non-members alike. There is a lot of respect for what members have done in rejecting the short term outcome to demand proper fixes for industrial rights, wages, safety and workload improvements. And after the success of the SIA campaign, more educators are joining up. This campaign showed them how effective collective power is and how much stronger we can become.”
While the SIA process is ongoing, members are encouraged to remain committed as the union continues its work to secure improved wages, workload protections and workplace conditions across Victorian Catholic schools.
Congratulations to every IEU member who contributed to the campaign and continues to fight for fairness and the best possible workplaces for educators and therefore students in Victoria’s Catholic schools.
