This International Women’s Day, union women are celebrating…

Did you know that the average union member in 2024 is a 45-year-old nurse?

In fact, 54% of union members across Australia are women. Today, and throughout history, union women have made stronger unions and made this country fairer and more equal.

On this International Women’s Day, there’s much to celebrate – from the tough, tireless working women who fought for better conditions, liveable wages and autonomy throughout the last two centuries; right through to the victories won by working women over the past few years.

The women of Australia’s history

From the union women who fought for the right to vote in the 19th century, to those who won equal pay for equal work in the 20th century and more recently, the activists who championed domestic violence leave in the 21st century – every contribution had a huge positive impact on the working lives of Australian women today.

Union women don’t give up

The tone of last year’s International Women’s Day looked very different to that of 2022.

What happened in that time? Union members demonstrated the power of a nearly two-million-strong movement, by driving a change of federal government. The election outcome was a win for working people, and working women, but our campaigning efforts didn’t stop there.

Unionists and activists persevered through to seeing the introduction of 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave into the National Employment Standards, a win that was a decade in the making.

New pay secrecy laws were introduced, off the back of a long campaign by unions to ensure that all workers not only have the right to freely discuss wages, but are empowered to challenge pay discrimination and wage inequality in their workplaces.

And the expansion of paid parental leave from 20 weeks to 26 weeks by 2026 was announced, after years of woman campaigning for more support for working families and advances in gender equality.

These are just a few of the achievements that were won throughout 2023 by the collective action of union women hard at work, continuing to campaign for real action to improve the lives of working women.

A massive year of progress for working women

In 2024, the national gender pay gap is the lowest on record. This is a result of union women campaigning to achieve major victories, including:

• Access to multi-employer bargaining, allowing women in female-dominated industries such as aged care and early childhood education to negotiate collectively for better pay and conditions.
• A historic 8.6 percent increase in the National Minimum Wage and 5.75 percent increase in award rates, lifting the pay of the lowest-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
• Strengthening of anti-discrimination provisions in the Fair Work Act by prohibiting discrimination of victim-survivors of family and domestic violence.
• Stronger protections and new rights for workers employed in casual and insecure work, which disproportionately affects women.
• Right to disconnect laws enabling those with caring responsibilities, primarily women, to not be disadvantaged with unpaid labour relative to their coworkers.
• Announced review of modern awards by the Fair Work Commission concerning gender-based undervaluation and the impact of job security and caring responsibilities.
• Improved reporting to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, including the publication of company gender pay gaps to drive change and accountability.

There is always more work to do to tackle the gender pay gap and achieve full gender equality at work, but all these wins over the past year were achieved by union women building on the legacy of those who came before them.

The payment of superannuation on Paid Parental Leave

Just yesterday, the Albanese Labor Government announced they will pay superannuation on Commonwealth Parental Leave Payments from 1 July 2025.

This is a monumental victory for working women across Australia and a massive union win, that comes off the back of more than a decade of campaigning to win equal retirement outcomes for women, who currently retire with an average of 47% less super than men.

Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave is the only type of leave upon which workers do not earn superannuation, and with more than 180,000 women receiving parental leave payments a year (making up 99.5% of recipients), the loss of super has been nearly entirely on women.

Women deserve a dignified and secure retirement. This change means we are one step closer to rectifying a glaring gap in our retirement income system.

A future that looks fairer and safer for women

Today is a day to celebrate the progress we’ve made in the fight for gender equity in the workplace, on the street and in the home.

Every one of these achievements are a testament to the power of collective action in driving better pay, fairer conditions and safer workplaces for women.

Union members have achieved so much, and will continue their tireless work until ALL workplaces are decent and fair for ALL working women.

To the mighty union women, making a difference for all working women, we say Happy International Women’s Day.

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