What is industrial action in 2025 and why is it so important?
Industrial action is a last resort, but it’s essential leverage. It’s not just about striking; it’s about building collective power.
Many educators who support taking action to secure a fair deal from their employer still feel apprehensive about the idea of industrial action.
They haven’t experienced it. They’re not sure how it works. They associate it with aggressive, blokey stereotypes of ancient actions.
Well, recent history proves just how essential it is.
In three very different situations, collective and coordinated action was essential in achieving improvements in pay and conditions. The prospect of industrial action gave workers the leverage they needed to win the outcomes they deserved.
Tasmanian Catholic Schools, 2024
After years of stalled negotiations, IEU members applied for a Protected Action Ballot Order in mid-2024, with over 80% of members supporting a wide range of industrial actions. Partial work bans began in August – staff stayed at work but refused tasks like meetings and after-hours duties. The mere threat of full-day strikes prompted Catholic Education Tasmania to return to the table and by early September, an in-principle agreement was reached – without any strike actually taking place.
Strathcona Girls Grammar School, 2025
Strathcona staff rejected a substandard Agreement in April 2025, and a subsequent protected action ballot saw 98% support for a range of actions. From late April, staff implemented work bans and public messaging. With a one-hour stop-work looming in May, the employer rushed to finalise a deal just hours before the stoppage. The campaign’s success was built on high participation, and tripled union membership with clear, coordinated messaging around workload and respect. This was a ground-breaking campaign in an independent school with little history of action, and proof of how a workforce can be transformed with organised commitment.
NECA education, 2024
At NECA, over a year of employer inaction left staff underpaid and demoralised. In May 2024, IEU members staged a partial-day strike, distributing flyers and holding public rallies. The visible solidarity – including support from other unions – compelled NECA to return to bargaining. By September, staff had won their first-ever Enterprise Agreement, securing a 4% pay rise and progress toward pay parity with the TAFE sector.
What is protected industrial action?
Protected industrial action is a legal form of protest that union members can take when negotiating a new Enterprise Agreement. It gives workers the right to take action – like strikes or work bans – without being punished by their employer.
This kind of action is only legal if it follows the rules set out in Australia’s workplace law, the Fair Work Act 2009.
When can you take it?
You can only take protected industrial action when:
Your union is bargaining for a new Enterprise Agreement
The current Agreement has already expired
A majority of union members vote to take action
The union gives the employer at least three working days’ notice before the action begins.
What does it look like?
Protected industrial action can include:
Going on strike (not working for a set time)
Work bans (refusing to do certain tasks, like meetings, emails, or supervision)
Partial work bans (doing some parts of your job but not others)
Stop-work meetings (leaving work briefly to meet and plan)
Other actions, like distributing campaign materials or wearing badges.
These actions are chosen and voted on by members in a Protected Action Ballot – a formal vote run by the Fair Work Commission.
Why is it called ‘protected’?
It’s called protected because:
Your job is safe – you can’t be sacked or punished for taking part
The action is legal – your union has followed the proper process
You won’t be sued – the employer can’t take legal action against you for being involved.
Note: You won’t be paid for the time you are on strike or doing certain work bans – but your employer can’t take more than that.
For members bargaining a new Agreement
The threat of strike action – used legally through protected industrial rights – is often essential to breaking negotiation deadlocks.
At some point, especially from non-members, you may hear: ‘Why don’t we just accept what’s on the table?’
Some tired and overworked colleagues may be tempted to settle for a substandard deal. Employers count on this to avoid real change – and to stop workers from gaining the rights that give them bargaining power.
When those voices emerge, stay the course.
Unity, solidarity, and the right strategies deliver outcomes members need – if we have the collective leverage of industrial action.