Do I have to take industrial action? The answer to this depends on whether you are looking for a legal answer or an ethical answer.

Under Australian law, there is no requirement for you to take part in industrial action in accordance with a democratic decision of your colleagues in which you have had a chance to have your say. However, most union members feel an obligation to their colleagues to participate in industrial action that has been the subject of a democratic decision.

Each decision to take industrial action is a collective decision of NTEU members. If a democratic decision is made to take action it is important that everyone who can support that action by participating in it fully – we will all benefit from the results in better salaries and conditions, so we should all stand together to achieve them. For example, if the action decided on is to stop work, it undermines the action if someone continues to perform work at home.