Due to a state dispute, thousands of Queensland state school teachers are walking out on Wednesday, August 6. The strike, which will be the first in 16 years, was voted on by members of the Queensland Teachers Union, and earned more than 95% of their support, with a total of 36,583 votes in favor and only 1660 against.
The vote was called as a last resort tactic to reach a pay deal with the government, as negotiations for a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) fell through and conciliation led by the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) reached no satisfactory conclusion.
Although the union as urged parents to keep their children at home on Wednesday, as more than half a million students could be impacted by the industrial action, they assured no child would be left unsupervised if they had to attend school, as non-union teachers will be required to attend, though no official curriculum will be taught that day. Principals of each individual school are tasked with informing parents about the impact to their school.
The government and the union have met 17 times over the past five months, and though negotiations have been characterised as productive by the union, an agreement has not been reached. The Department of Education’s current offer would have delivered a 3 per cent wage rise this year and a 2.5 per cent increase in 2026 and 2027. But the union had been seeking an extra student-free day as well as better salaries and conditions.
A rally will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 10:30am and a union meeting will be held during the strike as well. It is expected that teachers will take that time to consider and discuss their options, including whether to take further industrial action.