Have your say: Work on EB11 underway
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128, 8 November 2023, page no.13
Even while the QTU continues to meet with the Department of Education to ensure that the schedule of implementation of the current certified agreement is on track for completion before its expiry date, preliminary work has already begun on the next enterprise bargaining (EB) process.
Although the certified agreement is not due to expire until 30 June 2025, the QTU is in a unique position to attain firm commitments from all political parties before the state election, scheduled for 26 October 2024. One way to ensure solid outcomes for the next EB process (EB11) is to complete the membership consultation process before the election, to allow for member campaigning on EB issues during the leadup to the election.
Preliminary work on the next EB has begun and will continue throughout Term 1, 2024. During Term 2, special EB11 branch meetings will give members the chance to propose items for consideration in the next log of claims. Members will have until the end of Term 2 to submit their ideas via the usual branch motion processes.
Once these proposed claims are received, the QTU’s Industrial Advocate and senior officers will group them into common interest areas. The QTU Executive have recently endorsed a continuation of the interest-based bargaining approach in EB11.
In EB10, member consultation informed solutions in relation to the eight interest categories. Addressing the EB11 claim through a common thematic approach, such as “Complex schools/different needs” will see wins under particular interests, as per EB10.
Once the interest areas have been finalised, delegates at State Council in August 2024 will endorse the interest areas. Materials will then be sent to all political parties for consideration and discussion in order to gain firm commitments on member issues. The purpose of endorsing the log of claims earlier is to enable political parties to put forward solid election commitments for teachers and school leaders. Members will be encouraged to seek delegations with sitting MPs to unpack the interest areas, ensuring that teacher and school leader voices are heard.
The QTU will again be working closely with public sector unions with coverage of other workers in state schools to gain wins for members, like the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) payment, which was won by Queensland public sector unions for their members. It is clear that increased locality allowances for those working in rural, regional, and remote areas is a major issue for unions working in schools.
One of the most significant wins to comue out of the last EB was an agreement to review the school resourcing model. Although the resourcing review will not be finalised until December 2024, clear themes and issues have already emerged. The QTU will be making a preliminary submission to the review before the end of the year, and some key recommendations of that submission will be embedded in the QTU Budget Submission, which is due to be endorsed at November Council this year. This will again increase the QTU’s ability to gain election commitments from the parties.
In the face of a nationwide teacher shortage, members are constantly reminded of the dire need to attract and retain teachers, and to ensure that Queensland teachers are among the highest paid teachers in Australia. There is much work to be done, and we look forward to working with and for members to gain the best outcomes for Queensland teachers, heads of program, and school leaders, who are dedicated to providing the best education possible to Queensland students all over the state.
Leah Mertens
Deputy General Secretary