The end of the financial year isn’t just about taxes and sales. It’s when some of the changes unions have won start to take effect. And this year, those changes are historic. 

From 1 July 2025, millions of workers across Australia will benefit from union fought changes like stronger wages, better superannuation, and fairer parental leave. And while these wins benefit everyone, they’re especially significant for working women, who remain overrepresented in low-paid jobs and still carry most of the unpaid caring load. 

Here’s what’s changing, and why it’s a real step forward for women’s economic security, on the job and beyond. 👇 

Minimum and award wages are going up  

From 1 July, the national minimum wage and modern award wages will rise by 3.5%, bringing the minimum hourly rate to $24.95. 

That means a full-time worker on minimum wage will earn $1,666 more per year.  

This is a huge win for women.

According to the Fair Work Commission, women make up 60% of award wage earners in Australia, and they’re overrepresented in low-paid sectors like healthcare, education, retail, and hospitality, where wages are set by awards.  

This increase directly benefits hundreds of thousands of women, helping close the gender pay gap from the bottom up.  

Paid parental leave get stronger  

 From 1 July, two major changes to government-paid parental leave will come into effect: 

• Leave entitlements will increase from 22 to 24 weeks 
• 15 days of parental leave will be reserved for the other parent 

In Australia, women still perform an average of 30 hours of unpaid care and domestic work each week, almost double that of men (ABS, 2023). Whether it’s raising children, caring for family members, or managing the home, that invisible labour comes with real financial penalties. 

*ABS, 2023

Increasing the amount of government paid parental leave available will give parents more time with their babies - and reserving 15 days for the second partner will encourage parents to share caring responsibilities right from the start.   

Victorian Trades Hall Council activists during International Women Day Rally, 2025 © Mitzi McKenzie-King

Superannuation contributions are increasing  

From 1 July, employer superannuation contributions will rise from 11.5% to 12%. 

It’s a critical step, especially for women, who on average retire with 20.5% less super than men (ASFA, 2023). That gap doesn’t just reflect lower pay. It reflects a system that penalises women for doing a disproportionate share of unpaid care work. 

Here’s how the imbalance stacks up: 

• Lower pay in women-dominated sectors like aged care and education 

• Imbalanced distribution of caring work harms career progression for women (only 1 in 5 CEOs is a woman) 

• Super has not been paid on parental leave 

• Career breaks linked to reproductive health issues 

Read our article: Gender segregation: when society expectations block women from whole industries and carreers 

Boosting super is just one step, but it matters. For example, a 30-year-old earning $100,000 a year will retire with $125,000 more in super thanks to this change. 

And for the first time ever, superannuation will be paid on parental leave. 

These are hard-fought union wins, and they go directly to the heart of why the super gap exists.  

Paying students for placement work 

From 1 July, students in feminised fields like teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work will receive $319.50 per week during mandatory placements. 

It’s a big win that recognises these placements for what they are: real work. But until now, they’ve been unpaid, pushing many students into “placement poverty”. 

This change recognises the value of care work from the start, and helps ensure that students from all backgrounds, especially women, can afford to qualify for the jobs that keep society running.  

Every one of these wins was made possible by workers standing together in their unions. From better wages to stronger super, fairer leave and real recognition of unpaid and underpaid work: this is what happens when we organise, act, and fight for change together. 

Want more wins like this? Join your union and let’s fight for the next victory, together.