Winning for women (and for all)
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 131 No 3, 22 May 2026, page no.23
History is important. It should not be forgotten that many of the conditions that we often now take for granted were fought for and won by QTU members. Through the commitment of women educators who led with courage and conviction, our history is littered with injustices overturned and wins that have ultimately benefited members of all genders.
Let’s take a look back at some of the most notable examples of the QTU winning for women.
Permanency
Incredible as it may seem today, women teachers could once be routinely dismissed, simply for being married. Women had to resign upon marriage and if they didn’t, their employment was terminated. In 1965, it became QTU policy that married women must be able to continue teaching. The Department of Education backed down, but then used married women teachers as a pool of dispensable labour who could be terminated with just one week’s notice. They were then routinely appointed for the following school year and then terminated again as the school year ended, denying them vacation pay. Thankfully, the QTU secured true permanency for married women in 1969.
Equal pay
Well into the 1960s, women teachers were expected to do the same job as their men colleagues, but for lower wages. Thanks to the perseverance of QTU legend (and future President) Ruth Don, equal pay officially became Union policy in1947, but the fight went on for decades. It wasn’t until 1967 that the Industrial Court finally granted the Union’s application for salary equality, with equal pay becoming a reality in 1972.
Paid parental leave
Paid maternity leave, as it was then termed, became available to Queensland state school educators in 1986, initially for six weeks, with the QTU at the forefront of the campaign. In 2000, the QTU successfully argued in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for school vacation periods to be excluded from paid maternity leave, and the QTU, together with other public sector unions, has since succeeded in increasing state paid parental leave to 14 weeks. In 2011, the federal government introduced an additional paid parental leave scheme for a maximum period of 18 weeks. That maximum period continues to be extended, thanks to the union movement.
Lactation breaks
Breastfeeding and lactation breaks were introduced in 2010, offering state school employees up to one hour of paid lactation breaks each day “without debit”, meaning that breaks had to be in paid time and in addition to meal breaks, rest pauses, and non-contact time. Clean, private, secure, and signed spaces for feeding or expressing were to be provided, along with refrigeration for milk storage.
Shared primary carer leave
In 2019, through the ongoing advocacy of the QTU and its Women and Girls’ Education Committee (WTGEC), Queensland teachers won the right to share paid parental leave between eligible “primary carers”. This recognised that parenting is shared by enabling the spouse to access any unused paid maternity leave entitlement, replacing one week (or two weeks half-pay) of short spousal leave.
Reproductive health leave
Thanks to the advocacy of WTGEC and the solidarity of Queensland public sector unions, access to paid reproductive health leave came into effect on 30 September 2024 to reduce the stigma of seeking support to manage the impacts of reproductive health issues on workforce participation. The directive was a significant step forward for QTU members of all genders, and it still remains nation leading.
Superannuation
The withholding of employer superannuation payments while on parental leave was a longstanding grievance of the Queensland union movement, including the QTU. Women were disproportionately disadvantaged by time off work during parental leave, as it resulted in gaps in their superannuation savings. After a long campaign, in 2024 the state government confirmed that superannuation would be paid for 52 weeks of parental leave, whether the leave is paid or not. This will be particularly felt many years from now in the super balances of teachers reaching retirement age.
The challenge ahead
We stand on the shoulders of the great Union women who went before us and seek to build on their legacy for those who will follow.
The QTU is now focusing on the impact of sexual harassment and sex or gender‑based harassment at work. This causes short and long‑term harm to affected workers, students, witnesses, and others, including work teams and support networks.
While the achievements above have been led by QTU women, there has also been a long line of allies, who demonstrated through their actions that the pursuit of equality was their work too.
In all our struggles and our wins for women since 1889, there is a common thread: Equality, yes, and an understanding that it benefits us all.