'This is the moment': teachers strike over wage deal
Queensland teachers on Wednesday abandoned classrooms for the first time in 16 years, demanding better pay and conditions after government negotiations broke down.
Brisbane's CBD came to a standstill amid a sea of placards as about 4000 people marched on state parliament.
It was part of 30 rallies across the state after more than 50,000 union members voted to strike for the first time since 2009.
Almost 600,000 state primary and high school students were affected by Wednesday's 24-hour industrial action.
"This is the moment to stand up, be seen, be counted and be heard," Gold Coast teacher Damien Richardson told the Brisbane rally.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek was hopeful of returning to negotiations after talks collapsed following 18 meetings with the union in the past five months.
The Queensland Teachers' Union has not ruled out taking more industrial action.
"Sadly, it probably wouldn't end here today. This is not going to be easy," union president Cresta Richardson told the rally.
"We have spoken today. This is a teacher voice that cannot be denied."
The union in June rejected the latest offer of three per cent, 2.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent salary increases respectively over the next three years.
"If we accept the state wages policy, it actually takes us to the lowest-paid teachers in the country," Ms Richardson told reporters.
"We can afford an Olympic Games but we can't afford to pay our teachers properly, come on."
The strike action was also part of a campaign for safer classrooms and solutions to a teacher shortage, the union said.
"Together, teachers and school leaders will write a new chapter in Queensland's history books and remind the government just how valuable we are to education in our state schools," the union said on Instagram.
Terry Evans retired after being a teacher for more than 20 years but decided to march in Brisbane after the government's latest wage offer.
"Like most people, I think it's piss poor. It's a ridiculous offer," he told AAP.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles was among a handful of Labor caucus members joining the march.
"They were promised nation-leading wages," he told AAP.
"I think we have the best teachers in the country and they should be appreciated for it."
Mr Langbroek said the Liberal National government would continue to negotiate in good faith.
"Our second offer to the union ... would see them at $135,000, which would make them number one in the country," he said.
"I want to reassure parents, teachers and students that we're confident we can come to a negotiated settlement.
"It is costly for the people taking this industrial action. They lose a day's pay."
Pay negotiations have been referred to the Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation by the Queensland government.
TEACHER SALARIES NATIONWIDE:
* Queensland: under the government's pay offer, by 2027 a graduate teacher would earn $84,000 per year and a senior educator $135,000.
* NSW: graduate teacher earns $87,550 and senior educator about $125,763.
* Victoria: graduate teacher earns $79,589 and senior educator up to $129,544.
* South Australia: graduate teacher earns $82,496 and senior educator up to $129,841.
* Tasmania: graduate teacher earns $82,828 and senior educator up to $118,328.
* Western Australia: graduate teacher earns $85,610 and senior educator up to $130,257.
* Northern Territory: graduate teacher earns $92,215 and senior educator up to $188,789.
Further industrial action looms after thousands of educators walked off the job in the largest teachers' strike in a state's history.
Queensland teachers on Wednesday abandoned classrooms for the first time in 16 years, demanding better pay and conditions after government negotiations broke down.
Brisbane's CBD came to a standstill amid a sea of placards as about 4000 people marched on state parliament.
It was part of 30 rallies across the state after more than 50,000 union members voted to strike for the first time since 2009.
Almost 600,000 state primary and high school students were affected by Wednesday's 24-hour industrial action.
"This is the moment to stand up, be seen, be counted and be heard," Gold Coast teacher Damien Richardson told the Brisbane rally.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek was hopeful of returning to negotiations after talks collapsed following 18 meetings with the union in the past five months.
The Queensland Teachers' Union has not ruled out taking more industrial action.
"Sadly, it probably wouldn't end here today. This is not going to be easy," union president Cresta Richardson told the rally.
"We have spoken today. This is a teacher voice that cannot be denied."
The union in June rejected the latest offer of three per cent, 2.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent salary increases respectively over the next three years.
"If we accept the state wages policy, it actually takes us to the lowest-paid teachers in the country," Ms Richardson told reporters.
"We can afford an Olympic Games but we can't afford to pay our teachers properly, come on."
The strike action was also part of a campaign for safer classrooms and solutions to a teacher shortage, the union said.
"Together, teachers and school leaders will write a new chapter in Queensland's history books and remind the government just how valuable we are to education in our state schools," the union said on Instagram.
Terry Evans retired after being a teacher for more than 20 years but decided to march in Brisbane after the government's latest wage offer.
"Like most people, I think it's piss poor. It's a ridiculous offer," he told AAP.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles was among a handful of Labor caucus members joining the march.
"They were promised nation-leading wages," he told AAP.
"I think we have the best teachers in the country and they should be appreciated for it."
Mr Langbroek said the Liberal National government would continue to negotiate in good faith.
"Our second offer to the union ... would see them at $135,000, which would make them number one in the country," he said.
"I want to reassure parents, teachers and students that we're confident we can come to a negotiated settlement.
"It is costly for the people taking this industrial action. They lose a day's pay."
Pay negotiations have been referred to the Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation by the Queensland government.
TEACHER SALARIES NATIONWIDE:
* Queensland: under the government's pay offer, by 2027 a graduate teacher would earn $84,000 per year and a senior educator $135,000.
* NSW: graduate teacher earns $87,550 and senior educator about $125,763.
* Victoria: graduate teacher earns $79,589 and senior educator up to $129,544.
* South Australia: graduate teacher earns $82,496 and senior educator up to $129,841.
* Tasmania: graduate teacher earns $82,828 and senior educator up to $118,328.
* Western Australia: graduate teacher earns $85,610 and senior educator up to $130,257.
* Northern Territory: graduate teacher earns $92,215 and senior educator up to $188,789.
Further industrial action looms after thousands of educators walked off the job in the largest teachers' strike in a state's history.
Queensland teachers on Wednesday abandoned classrooms for the first time in 16 years, demanding better pay and conditions after government negotiations broke down.
Brisbane's CBD came to a standstill amid a sea of placards as about 4000 people marched on state parliament.
It was part of 30 rallies across the state after more than 50,000 union members voted to strike for the first time since 2009.
Almost 600,000 state primary and high school students were affected by Wednesday's 24-hour industrial action.
"This is the moment to stand up, be seen, be counted and be heard," Gold Coast teacher Damien Richardson told the Brisbane rally.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek was hopeful of returning to negotiations after talks collapsed following 18 meetings with the union in the past five months.
The Queensland Teachers' Union has not ruled out taking more industrial action.
"Sadly, it probably wouldn't end here today. This is not going to be easy," union president Cresta Richardson told the rally.
"We have spoken today. This is a teacher voice that cannot be denied."
The union in June rejected the latest offer of three per cent, 2.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent salary increases respectively over the next three years.
"If we accept the state wages policy, it actually takes us to the lowest-paid teachers in the country," Ms Richardson told reporters.
"We can afford an Olympic Games but we can't afford to pay our teachers properly, come on."
The strike action was also part of a campaign for safer classrooms and solutions to a teacher shortage, the union said.
"Together, teachers and school leaders will write a new chapter in Queensland's history books and remind the government just how valuable we are to education in our state schools," the union said on Instagram.
Terry Evans retired after being a teacher for more than 20 years but decided to march in Brisbane after the government's latest wage offer.
"Like most people, I think it's piss poor. It's a ridiculous offer," he told AAP.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles was among a handful of Labor caucus members joining the march.
"They were promised nation-leading wages," he told AAP.
"I think we have the best teachers in the country and they should be appreciated for it."
Mr Langbroek said the Liberal National government would continue to negotiate in good faith.
"Our second offer to the union ... would see them at $135,000, which would make them number one in the country," he said.
"I want to reassure parents, teachers and students that we're confident we can come to a negotiated settlement.
"It is costly for the people taking this industrial action. They lose a day's pay."
Pay negotiations have been referred to the Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation by the Queensland government.
TEACHER SALARIES NATIONWIDE:
* Queensland: under the government's pay offer, by 2027 a graduate teacher would earn $84,000 per year and a senior educator $135,000.
* NSW: graduate teacher earns $87,550 and senior educator about $125,763.
* Victoria: graduate teacher earns $79,589 and senior educator up to $129,544.
* South Australia: graduate teacher earns $82,496 and senior educator up to $129,841.
* Tasmania: graduate teacher earns $82,828 and senior educator up to $118,328.
* Western Australia: graduate teacher earns $85,610 and senior educator up to $130,257.
* Northern Territory: graduate teacher earns $92,215 and senior educator up to $188,789.
Further industrial action looms after thousands of educators walked off the job in the largest teachers' strike in a state's history.
Queensland teachers on Wednesday abandoned classrooms for the first time in 16 years, demanding better pay and conditions after government negotiations broke down.
Brisbane's CBD came to a standstill amid a sea of placards as about 4000 people marched on state parliament.
It was part of 30 rallies across the state after more than 50,000 union members voted to strike for the first time since 2009.
Almost 600,000 state primary and high school students were affected by Wednesday's 24-hour industrial action.
"This is the moment to stand up, be seen, be counted and be heard," Gold Coast teacher Damien Richardson told the Brisbane rally.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek was hopeful of returning to negotiations after talks collapsed following 18 meetings with the union in the past five months.
The Queensland Teachers' Union has not ruled out taking more industrial action.
"Sadly, it probably wouldn't end here today. This is not going to be easy," union president Cresta Richardson told the rally.
"We have spoken today. This is a teacher voice that cannot be denied."
The union in June rejected the latest offer of three per cent, 2.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent salary increases respectively over the next three years.
"If we accept the state wages policy, it actually takes us to the lowest-paid teachers in the country," Ms Richardson told reporters.
"We can afford an Olympic Games but we can't afford to pay our teachers properly, come on."
The strike action was also part of a campaign for safer classrooms and solutions to a teacher shortage, the union said.
"Together, teachers and school leaders will write a new chapter in Queensland's history books and remind the government just how valuable we are to education in our state schools," the union said on Instagram.
Terry Evans retired after being a teacher for more than 20 years but decided to march in Brisbane after the government's latest wage offer.
"Like most people, I think it's piss poor. It's a ridiculous offer," he told AAP.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles was among a handful of Labor caucus members joining the march.
"They were promised nation-leading wages," he told AAP.
"I think we have the best teachers in the country and they should be appreciated for it."
Mr Langbroek said the Liberal National government would continue to negotiate in good faith.
"Our second offer to the union ... would see them at $135,000, which would make them number one in the country," he said.
"I want to reassure parents, teachers and students that we're confident we can come to a negotiated settlement.
"It is costly for the people taking this industrial action. They lose a day's pay."
Pay negotiations have been referred to the Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation by the Queensland government.
TEACHER SALARIES NATIONWIDE:
* Queensland: under the government's pay offer, by 2027 a graduate teacher would earn $84,000 per year and a senior educator $135,000.
* NSW: graduate teacher earns $87,550 and senior educator about $125,763.
* Victoria: graduate teacher earns $79,589 and senior educator up to $129,544.
* South Australia: graduate teacher earns $82,496 and senior educator up to $129,841.
* Tasmania: graduate teacher earns $82,828 and senior educator up to $118,328.
* Western Australia: graduate teacher earns $85,610 and senior educator up to $130,257.
* Northern Territory: graduate teacher earns $92,215 and senior educator up to $188,789.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
2 hours ago
- Herald Sun
James Campbell: Refugees a growing issue for Albanese government
It hasn't hit the headlines yet, but there's a refugee problem quietly brewing for Albo, which if left unattended, is going to become a major headache. I'm talking about the ballooning number of failed asylum seekers still in Australia. On Wednesday, in response to a senate motion, the government released the latest monthly stats on onshore asylum applications. The situation for July was roughly the same as it has been for every month for the past few years – roughly 2000 people applied for protection, with the largest cohort (365) coming from India followed by China (233). And as is also usual the number who applied for protection upon arrival at an airport was zero. During the same month, there were – again as usual – roughly 2200 decisions made, with 599 people successful and 1621 unsuccessful. Malaysians (186) were the nationals most likely to be deemed in need of protection, followed by Pakistanis (55) and Iranians (41), while very few Chinese (37) and Indians (15) were successful. All up, there are 27,100 asylum seekers waiting for their cases to be determined, which despite the fact the government has greatly improved the decision rate in the past three years, is roughly the same number as there were when they came office in May 2022. The problem for the government is the growth in the number of people who are still here despite exhausting all avenues of appeal against the decision not to grant them asylum. When Labor came to office, there were roughly 68,000 people who had been told they must leave who were still here. By the end of July, this number had reached 98,979, which without a doubt will be more than 100,000 when the government releases the numbers next month. A year ago, it was 84,000, which if repeated over this term of Albo-time will see roughly another 45,000 added to the pile. The reason you can be sure it won't shrink is simple – we basically don't deport failed asylum seekers. Seriously, we don't. Last month, only 10 people refused protection visas were deported – fewer than five of whom left involuntarily. This isn't a Labor thing either – in the last month of the Coalition government, only nine left. And if you think this failure is bizarre, consider the fact that as of February 2024 – 78 per cent of failed asylum seekers had the right to work and the same percentage had the right to study. In other words, we are spending God knows how much money running an asylum seeker assessment system in which the outcome for the successful and unsuccessful applicant is basically the same. Maybe you think we can muddle along like this because in reality adding 15,000 failed asylum seekers a year to the total already here won't make much of a difference in a world in which net overseas migration is growing by 350,000 a year. Put like that, isn't it really just a rounding error? But there are several reasons it should be worrying the government. The most obvious is because it's clearly going to be a pretty big pull factor if it becomes widely known that the reality is if you get to Australia you will stay in Australia (just don't come by boat!). But there are already reasons why this number is likely to grow over the next few years. The first is because the government has made it harder for students to obtain permanent residency, which will inevitably mean more of those who don't want to leave will try for asylum. It should be pointed out as an aside at this point that it is possible for an international 'student' to commence an application for asylum after having already spent the better part of a decade in Australia, shifting from course-to-course then running the clock fighting visa cancellations at the review tribunal and the Federal Circuit Court, all the while enjoying work rights. Then there's the thousands of people who were granted pandemic visas, which only finally closed in February – who knows how many of them will end up claiming a genuine fear of persecution if they go home? It would be bad enough if the years it can take to resolve an asylum application – during which the claimant enjoyed work rights – were encouraging bogus applications. What's even worse is a system which takes years to weed out bogus applicants, but which then allows them to stay forever anyway. But that is what we have at the moment and there's no sign the government has any interest in doing anything about it. James Campbell National weekend political editor James Campbell is national weekend political editor for Saturday and Sunday News Corporation newspapers and websites across Australia, including the Saturday and Sunday Herald Sun, the Saturday and Sunday Telegraph and the Saturday Courier Mail and Sunday Mail. He has previously been investigations editor, state politics editor and opinion editor of the Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun. Since starting on the Sunday Herald Sun in 2008 Campbell has twice been awarded the Grant Hattam Quill Award for investigative journalism by the Melbourne Press Club and in 2013 won the Walkley Award for Scoop of the Year.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Don't jump the gun. Paddington's Victoria Barracks must not be converted for housing
'It's just utter stupidity, I mean it really belongs to the people … the nation as a whole.' These words were spoken in the mid-'90s by the late, great Labor politician Tom Uren, whom Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls his 'father figure'. Back then, Defence wanted to sell its priceless historic harbour military sites, partly for new housing. Thanks to John Howard, Bob Carr, the federal parliament, and the community, all the sites were saved. They were never sold nor transferred to the NSW government. A new federal Sydney Harbour Federation Trust took over. But 30 years later, it's eerily deja vu. Defence is pondering vacating its exceedingly historic Victoria Barracks, although no decision has been made. Located in Paddington, surrounded by a high convict sandstone wall, the vast 15-hectare 1840s heritage site is so large that it has vistas inside. As big as Hyde Park, it comprises many convict-built sandstone Edwardian buildings. It is a rare intact military village. The largest building, 740 metres long, is 'reputed to be the longest stone building in the Southern Hemisphere', according to Defence. The Barracks is Commonwealth Heritage Listed, being 'the finest complex of colonial barracks … in Australia', 'survives as the only substantial barracks … from the early Victorian period', is 'valuable for future archaeological investigation', and 'is one of the most architecturally imposing 19th century military establishments in Australia'. It is in excellent condition. But because it's an active military base, few members of the public have been inside, apparently including some City of Sydney councillors. Regrettably, City of Sydney council, in a unanimous resolution late last year, and in case Defence moves out, decided that one key priority for the Barracks should be 'affordable housing' and that it needed to develop 'guiding principles'. Intriguingly, the two-page resolution contains a significant error, stating, 'about 30-50 per cent of the site is heritage-protected, but the remaining area could potentially be redeveloped'. This is erroneous – the entire site is heritage-protected. Three councillors spoke to the resolution. The first – Labor's Zann Maxwell – strongly in favour, said the site 'could unlock transformative opportunities', and would help 'to address the ongoing demand for homes'.
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
Don't jump the gun. Paddington's Victoria Barracks must not be converted for housing
'It's just utter stupidity, I mean it really belongs to the people … the nation as a whole.' These words were spoken in the mid-'90s by the late, great Labor politician Tom Uren, whom Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls his 'father figure'. Back then, Defence wanted to sell its priceless historic harbour military sites, partly for new housing. Thanks to John Howard, Bob Carr, the federal parliament, and the community, all the sites were saved. They were never sold nor transferred to the NSW government. A new federal Sydney Harbour Federation Trust took over. But 30 years later, it's eerily deja vu. Defence is pondering vacating its exceedingly historic Victoria Barracks, although no decision has been made. Located in Paddington, surrounded by a high convict sandstone wall, the vast 15-hectare 1840s heritage site is so large that it has vistas inside. As big as Hyde Park, it comprises many convict-built sandstone Edwardian buildings. It is a rare intact military village. The largest building, 740 metres long, is 'reputed to be the longest stone building in the Southern Hemisphere', according to Defence. The Barracks is Commonwealth Heritage Listed, being 'the finest complex of colonial barracks … in Australia', 'survives as the only substantial barracks … from the early Victorian period', is 'valuable for future archaeological investigation', and 'is one of the most architecturally imposing 19th century military establishments in Australia'. It is in excellent condition. But because it's an active military base, few members of the public have been inside, apparently including some City of Sydney councillors. Regrettably, City of Sydney council, in a unanimous resolution late last year, and in case Defence moves out, decided that one key priority for the Barracks should be 'affordable housing' and that it needed to develop 'guiding principles'. Intriguingly, the two-page resolution contains a significant error, stating, 'about 30-50 per cent of the site is heritage-protected, but the remaining area could potentially be redeveloped'. This is erroneous – the entire site is heritage-protected. Three councillors spoke to the resolution. The first – Labor's Zann Maxwell – strongly in favour, said the site 'could unlock transformative opportunities', and would help 'to address the ongoing demand for homes'.
