From the General Secretary's desk, 7 July 2022
We are currently in the peace obligation period, which follows the nominal expiry of the existing certified agreement in the schools sector last week.
A special meeting of QTU Executive has been convened to consider progress regarding potential changes to the government’s wages policy and developments in negotiations. This progress has only been possible through the commitment of members, who have contacted their local MPs, participated in MP delegations and sent emails to the Premier. These actions are all part of a campaign that has ensured that the state government knows that the QTU’s teacher and school leader members deserve more than praise.
It was the view of Executive that, as the peace obligation period ends on Friday and members are on school holidays, it should consider the next steps in the EB campaign when it meets on the first day of Term 3.
QTU State Council has been clear that any proposed agreement must:
- provide for salaries among the highest paid in the country
- accommodate the rising cost of living
- contain measures that assist in addressing the teacher shortage
- contain measures to support attraction and retention in rural, remote and regional communities.
The QTU believes one of the priorities should also be a review of the outdated school resourcing methodology (aka the allocative model), to allow schools to respond to the pressures of 21st century schooling.
The QTU will advise members of the outcomes of Executive’s deliberations and the next steps in the campaign on Tuesday next week.
Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064