Tens of thousands of teachers have gone on strike for the first time in 16 years, demanding better pay and conditions after government talks broke down.
Holding a sea of placards, educators on Wednesday marched on state parliament in Brisbane.
The march is among 30 rallies held across Queensland after more than 50,000 Queensland Teachers Union members voted to strike for the first time since 2009.
Almost 600,000 state primary and high school students have been affected by Wednesday’s industrial action.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek was hopeful of returning to negotiations after talks collapsed following 18 meetings with the union in the last five months.
The union in June rejected the latest offer of 3 per cent, 2.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent salary increases respectively over the next three years, and says a new deal must have better conditions along with nation-leading salaries.
“If we accept the state wages policy, it actually takes us to the lowest-paid teachers in the country,” union president Cresta Richardson said.
“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 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,” it said on Instagram.
Terry Evans retired after being a teacher for more than 20 years but decided to march on Wednesday after the government’s latest wage offer.
“Like most people, I think it’s piss poor. It’s a ridiculous offer,” he told AAP.
The teachers union will reportedly vote on Wednesday to decide whether to take further industrial action.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles was among a handful of Labor MPs joining the march to parliament on Wednesday.
“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.”
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Langbroek on Wednesday said the government would continue to negotiate in good faith and was hopeful of meeting again with the union this week.
“Our second offer to the union … would see them at $135,000, which would make them No.1 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.”
Peak body Queensland Council of Unions urged parents to support the action, keep their kids at home and “stand with teachers in their fight for the future of education”.
–AAP
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