QTU Members' newsflash No. 14-22,  25 November 2022 | Open PDF 

TO: QTU MEMBERS

A win for more than 12,500 QTU members!

As a member of the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU), you benefit from the work we do for members every day. In the past couple of years alone, we have secured:

• additional non-contact time/reduced teaching load for teachers in their first year 
• additional non-contact time for primary and special-school teachers
• access to the “conversion to permanency” process after two years of working in a continuous temporary role (previously three years)
• primary caregiver leave, which can be shared between carers
• annual progress to the next salary banding for part-time teachers.
   

A win for part-time employees

After 12 months of negotiations with the department, the QTU has secured and finalised the process for recognising part-time employees’ progression to ST, EST and EST2.

This win will see more than 12,500 part-time employees receive a salary that recognises the commitment and experience that part-time teachers continue to bring to the profession.

On November 24, teachers and school leaders should have received the first in a series of emails from the department outlining the process, with school leaders and eligible teachers receiving additional information on 28 November. The cohort recognised in this process is significant and the QTU has advocated to minimise the requirements of school leaders and ensure that backpay occurs separately to EB10, leave loading and other allowances.

School leaders and eligible teachers should be aware of the following dates:

28 November 2022 - email to school leaders and eligible teachers regarding their requirements

16 February 2023 - processing of all ST and EST1 eligible teachers

8 March 2023 - backdating of pay (to 1 January 2022) will occur in the pay period ending 12 March 2023

By the end of Term 1 2023 - ST applicants will need to complete their personal action plan and undertaking

By the end Term 3 2023 - All APRs for eligible teachers will be completed by this date.

Please note, those teachers eligible for EST2 will be recognised as part of the usual EST2 process and will receive backpay as part of that process.

If you believe that you are eligible but have not received notification by Tuesday 29 November 2022 please email HRAdvisoryServices@qed.qld.gov.au.

You and the QTU

Here at the QTU we advocate, negotiate and fight for improved working conditions for our members - you could say that we live and breathe our core values. So, when you join the QTU, you belong to a community, one that has many great benefits, including access to:

• QTAD – Queensland Teachers Assist Desk
• advice and assistance from your local QTU organiser
• one of Australia’s best legal assistance services
• union events, training, and PD QTEC and QuEST
• the QTU-created TUH health fund and the Union Shopper buying service
   

Wins in EB10

While the process of certification continues and members await their salary increase and backpay its worth considering the other gains from this agreement which include:

• right to disconnect clause
• access to three hours of student free time to be used at a teachers discretion
• new incentives in rural, remote and more difficult to staff locations
• the review of the school resourcing model including the review of duties of teachers, heads of programs, school leaders and specialist teachers
• additional administration time for teaching principals
• the first restructure to the community teacher classification in over 30 years.

Over the school holidays the QTU will start to develop resources to assist schools and members on implementing the new agreement when school returns in 2023.

Are you Christmas ready?

At the QTU we want members to access the full value of their membership. One of the benefits of being a QTU member is access to Union Shopper.

Union Shopper provides a range of services, but as you are preparing for Christmas holidays and the gift giving season, we thought you’d like to know about the discounted gift cards and vouchers they have on offer.

From discounted movie vouchers, discounted gift cards for lifestyle and clothing stores, to 4 percent off gift cards at Coles, Woolworths and IGA as well as 5 percent discounts on fuel gift cards at Ampol and United, members may find themselves saving money when shopping this Christmas. There are even discounts for Ticketmaster and Webjet and Flight Centre for those of you thinking of escaping in the coming months.

We recently did the calculations and worked out that if, before purchasing groceries, you purchased a $500 gift card from Union Shopper, you would save $20 on the voucher which means you would save $20 on a $500 shop.  If you purchased one of these each fortnight that is a $520 saving a year. It all adds up.

All you need to do to save a bit of money and be Christmas ready is go to the Union Shopper website – http://www.unionshopper.com.au/union/qtu and sign up using your QTU member number.  It is just another advantage of belonging to a real union.

​​​​​Authorised by:

Kate Ruttiman
General Secretary 

 Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064