TAFE members secure improved salaries and conditions
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128 No 8, 2 November 2023, page no. 19
The QTU commenced negotiations for a replacement agreement for TAFE Queensland educators in March, accompanied by a campaign that recognised that TAFE makes great happen, because teachers are the heart of great.
The QTU’s log of claims represented more than six months of dedicated consultation with members of the QTU’s TAFE Division. QTU officers and elected branch delegates met with members in every region throughout the state and collated their workplace stories. Throughout our extensive consultation, time and again QTU members told stories about how their work transforms the lives of Queenslanders.
The EB11 campaign was arranged in three parts. Broadly, these were: respecting the teaching profession, reducing cost of living pressures, and recognising fairness. The new certified agreement achieves gains in each part.
It respects the teaching profession by trialling a new educator network, and securing commitments from the employer to ensure managers participate in training about educators’ working conditions. The new certified agreement also achieves new industrial definitions for non-traditional modes of delivery like online and virtual delivery and commits to developing conditions for them.
It reduces cost of living pressures by delivering a three per cent upfront cost of living adjustment, as well as supporting educators delivering programs in specified remote locations with pre-payment of travel allowances.
It recognises fairness by strengthening the permanency clauses to align with Queensland Government Employment Security Policy, adopting measures to support workforce diversity, and committing to the right-to-disconnect.
QTU members can read more about the EB11 campaign gains in member-only Bulletins on the QTU website.
QTU members employed by TAFE are to be congratulated for engaging in the EB11 campaign.
The initial TAFE Queensland offer to settle the EB negotiations was rejected by QTU TAFE Executive, and on 19 July, the QTU opened a protected industrial action ballot. At the close of the ballot, more than 98 per cent of votes cast were in favour of protected industrial action, which included a two-hour stop work meeting on 10 August hosted by QTU Vice-President Leah Olsson. Elected delegates and QTU officers provided reports to the meeting from venues throughout the state, and the meeting carried resolutions including endorsement of a 24-hour stoppage unless TAFE Queensland provided a revised offer that delivered:
- salaries that reduced cost of living pressures across the life of a replacement agreement and began to restore parity with state school teachers
- measures to mitigate increasing workload, new industrial definitions, and fit-for-purpose working conditions for online, virtual, hybrid, and blended modes of delivery, and recognition of the Queensland Government’s Employment Security Policy
- application of the four-fifths rule to full-time educators, with an approved flexible working arrangement.
On 31 August, TAFE Queensland provided a revised formal offer, which was presented at a special meeting of QTU TAFE Executive. While the offer did not address the four-fifths rule, QTU TAFE Executive recommended the revised formal offer proceed to a member ballot and that members vote to accept the new deal.
The QTU TAFE ballot was open from 6-13 September and was supported by 96 per cent of votes cast.