The IEU is the voice of teachers and professional, administrative, operational and support staff in non-government education.

Enterprise agreements, salaries and conditions: The IEU negotiates enterprise agreements that secure your pay rises and conditions, including sick leave, carer’s leave, parental leave and long service leave. 

Industrial advice, support and representation: The IEU has workplace rights specialists who can advise and support you on a wide range of employment issues such as classification, contracts, disputes, discrimination, termination, flexible work requests and more.

Child protection and workplace investigations: The IEU provides crucial advice and representation during workplace investigations such as reportable conduct allegations, performance issues and workplace conflict.

Workers compensation and workplace health and safety: The union promotes and supports health and safety at work. We provide workers compensation advice and advocacy, and representation where required.

Professional development: The IEU offers a range of free and discounted face-to-face and online professional development sessions: https://www.ieu.asn.au/pd-and-events/

A professional voice: The IEU represents and advocates for members with employers, government agencies, policymakers and in the media.

Payment recovery: The IEU ensures members are paid accurately. The union recovered more than $4.4 million in underpayments to members in 2025 alone.

Community and connection: The union offers opportunities to network with likeminded education professionals in your workplace and region.

Keeping you informed: Follow the IEU on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, BlueSky and TikTok; keep an eye on your email for regular updates; don’t miss our publications posted to you eight times a year; and bookmark our website: www.ieu.asn.au

The IEU negotiates enterprise agreements (EAs) across schools and early childhood education and care centres. These agreements set out your pay, leave entitlements, workload and hours, superannuation and other entitlements.  

Log in to My IEU to easily access the agreement and pay scales that apply to you.

If you are unsure which agreement applies to you, or if you want help interpreting your entitlements, the IEU can: 

• confirm your correct pay classification 
• check your payslip against the applicable EA 
• advise you on rights around workload, leave, or contract issues 
• support you if your employer is not complying with the agreement. 

The IEU assists members in schools and early childhood settings with a range of workplace issues. Joining the IEU means you are not alone – we give you expert advice and will be in your corner if things get complicated. 

If you have an issue or concern, contact the IEU. Call 8202 8900 or email ieu@ieu.asn.au.

The IEU can advise on:

1. Pay, classification and entitlements 
   1. checking whether you are being paid correctly 
   2. confirming your correct classification level 
   3. interpreting salary scales, allowances, and loadings  
2. Workload and working conditions 
   1. what your agreement specifies, including release time
   2. the right to disconnect
   3. workplace health and safety
3. Job security 
   1. fixed‑term contracts versus ongoing employment 
   2. casual conversion rights 
   3. redundancy processes and protections 
4. Leave and entitlements 
   1. sick leave, personal leave, parental leave 
   2. long service leave calculations 
   3. carer’s leave and compassionate leave 
   4. disputes over access to leave 
   5. domestic and family violence leave
   6. cultural and ceremonial leave
   7. emergency and disaster leave
   8. military reserve
   9. examination and study leave
5. Professional issues 
   1. accreditation/registration requirements 
   2. performance processes and improvement plans 
   3. support during meetings with leadership 
   4. advice on professional expectations 
6. Workplace disputes and unfair treatment 
   1. bullying, harassment or discrimination 
   2. disciplinary processes 
   3. representation in disputes or grievances 
7. Bargaining and collective improvements 
   1. updates on negotiations for your sector 
   2. voting on new agreements 
   3. campaigns for better pay and conditions 
8. Legal and industrial support 
   1. advice on rights under workplace laws 
   2. representation in formal disputes 
   3. guidance on complex or sensitive matters 

Joining the IEU means there is a team of people who can give you quick advice, confidential guidance or formal representation. 

Your IEU rep is a colleague who your first link to the union. They are elected by your union chapter (the group of union members at your school, college or centre) to keep members informed and involved. They can provide union updates, connect you quickly with an organiser and support you in early conversations about workplace concerns. 

Your IEU organiser is an officer employed by the IEU to support members and build union power. They can help with pay and classification issues, workload concerns, disputes, advice before meetings with leadership and support during bargaining periods. Many IEU organisers are former teachers or support staff.

Log in to My IEU to find out who your IEU Rep and organiser are.

The IEU also has workplace rights specialists who can assist with more complex or sensitive matters. 

Bargaining is the process through which IEU officials, in consultation with and on behalf of members, negotiate with school employers for better pay and working conditions.  

The union brings everyone’s voices together: the more members we have, the greater your power in negotiations.

The union finds out what you and your fellow members want – fair pay rises, sensible workloads, better leave – and puts these claims to the employer. Both sides negotiate until they land on an enterprise agreement. 

The final agreement is legally binding, meaning your entitlements cannot be changed or ignored for the term of the agreement.  

Strength in numbers means employers are more likely to offer improvements they wouldn’t offer you individually. The IEU provides full transparency: you see the claims and proposals, we send you updates on bargaining, and you vote on the final deal.  

This is how schools, post-secondary colleges and early childhood centres with strong IEU membership make progress on pay and conditions. 

Check your workplace’s union noticeboard, reach out to your workplace IEU rep and attend a chapter meeting.

To find out who your rep is, log in to My IEU.

Your IEU chapter is the group of union members in your school or service. Chapter meetings are usually held once a term. Contact your rep for more information.

Your union noticeboard, often in the staffroom, is also a great source of information about union events and updates. The noticeboard usually has information about your rep, organiser and chapter meetings, as well as upcoming PD and general information about your rights at work.

It is highly likely that many of your colleagues are IEU members. A simple “Are you in the IEU?” is enough to begin the conversation. 

Keeping union materials visible at your desk signals your membership and often encourages others to approach you. Invite other colleagues to join. We are always stronger together.

Staff meetings, PD days and breaks are also opportunities to meet other members.  The IEU often runs events, training and online meetups where you can meet nearby members. 

Active IEU members make us stronger. Start by talking to your workplace IEU rep. For information about your IEU rep, log in to My IEU.

The IEU has 19 geographical sub branches throughout NSW and the ACT, as well as a sub branch for principals.

Sub branches meet once per term and are a great way to meet IEU members in other schools in your region and to become more involved in the union.

For more information:

• PD and events
• Reps training and meetings

Follow us on social media, bookmark this website (www.ieu.asn.au) and keep an eye on your email and letterbox for IEU updates and publications.

Consider offering to assist your rep. You could help keep the union noticeboard up to date, or assist with organising chapter meetings.

You might even consider standing for election as a Chapter committee member – rep, chair or secretary. The IEU offers regular training for reps, both new and experienced: see https://www.ieu.asn.au/training-and-meetings/

The IEUA NSW/ACT Branch represents over 30,000 teachers, support, professional, administrative and operational staff in independent schools, early childhood services, post-secondary colleges and more.

Everything we do is driven by what members need in their workplaces. 

Most schools have an IEU rep who is the first point of contact for members. Your rep is a colleague who is elected by your IEU chapter, the group of IEU members in your school or service.

Many chapters elect a committee (rep, chair, secretary). Many chapters have two co-reps.

Chapters are grouped into 20 sub branches – we have 19 geographical sub branches and a sub branch for principals. Sub branches meet once per term and are a great opportunity for members to share issues across schools and discuss them with union officers.

Council is the IEU’s ultimate governing and decision-making body, bringing together up to about 130 elected members from across NSW and the ACT. Council meets four times a year in Sydney.

IEU Council also includes the 22-member elected IEU Executive, led by the Secretary. The Executive is responsible for the branch’s financial management and for overseeing strategic priorities. The day-to-day work of the IEU happens in our six offices: Canberra, Lismore, Newcastle, Parramatta, Wollongong and our main Sydney headquarters. The union employs about 75 staff. 

Find out about the IEU’s structure and people: https://www.ieu.asn.au/resources/#rights-and-responsibilities

Follow the IEU on social media – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, BlueSky and TikTok – for frequent updates, event reminders and campaign actions. 

Check the union noticeboard at your school and keep in touch with your workplace rep.

Read Newsmonth, the union’s regular newspaper (posted and emailed to you), for the latest news on bargaining updates, campaigns and events.

Keep an eye out for our professional publications, IE and Bedrock, for in-depth features on the latest education research, workplace issues and member stories. 

Check the union’s website regularly. The IEU posts regular updates on local campaigns, government announcements and sector changes, as well as media releases. These will help you stay up to date with current workplace issues. 

Attend events, webinars, and training to hear directly from organisers and connect with other members. Learn more about union training and events:

• Professional development and events
• Union training and meetings