EB10: Learning from the past but focusing on the present
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 127 No 2, 11 March 2022, page no.9
The Department of Education and QTU are currently finalising the good faith bargaining guidelines for the commencement of EB negotiations.
These take into consideration our eight areas of interest. Regular meetings will then be set from March. The QTU Executive and State Council will receive regular updates from these meetings, with information broadcast to members via Newsflash. Organisers are also providing information for members at branch meetings and Area Councils.
Before turning our focus to improving salaries and conditions into the future, however, it’s timely to consider what can be achieved through this process by reminding ourselves of what the QTU secured in EB9.
Highlights of the EB9 agreement
Teacher salaries
- The process to access EST was simplified, including agreement to enable promotional positions to relinquish to EST salaries (subject to years of service) without requiring an application process.
- An additional EST step was created – EST2 – to be accessed after three years on EST. This was implemented from the start of 2022 school year.
- EST2 is remunerated at $110,500 p.a., lifting Queensland classroom teachers to among the highest paid in the country.
- Classroom teachers’ salaries increased by 2.5 per cent p.a.
Salaries for promotional positions
- A 10-point scale for principals resulted in single teacher schools receiving a salary higher than lead teachers, with the top step of the new principal level 1 receiving $121,975 p.a. (increasing to $130,172 p.a. by the end of the agreement).
- Executive principals returned to the classification scale, receiving a salary in the final year of the agreement of $211,398 p.a.
- Parity was achieved for heads of department and heads of department (curriculum).
- Salary parity was achieved for deputy principals, regardless of sector.
- Removal of the lowest step in each band means that progression to the highest salary for the band only takes two years rather than four.
- Members in promotional positions received minimum salary increases of 10 per cent over the life of the agreement.
Additional conditions from EB9
- Beginning teachers (first-year) in primary and special schools received a guaranteed additional 60 minutes of non-contact time and those in secondary schools received 70 minutes non-contact time, both from the start of the 2021 school year.
- Primary and special school teachers received an additional 30 minutes of non-contact time starting in 2022 (the first negotiated change to NCT in 25 years).
- Annual salary progression was incorporated for those in part-time positions, regardless of fraction
- Parental leave (the old maternity leave) was redefined as primary caregiver leave, making relevant entitlements accessible to the primary caregiver, regardless of gender or relationship status.
- A commitment to workplace health and safety principles was included in the agreement and up to four days of TRS funding per location (more than 30 employees) was provided, enabling relevant staff to be released to undertake workplace health and safety training.
- Senior guidance officers and regional school sports officers were to be included in the Teaching in State Education Award during the life of the agreement.
- Effective from 2020 school year, flexible student free day hours were reduced from 15 hours to 10 hours, and teachers could work up to eight hours on a single day following consultation with the LCC, providing greater flexibility in the accumulation of SFD time.
- The October student free day was moved to the third last week of Term 3 (or an alternative time following consultation with the LCC).
- Education officers – special duties were given access to school holidays.
- The process for accessing senior teacher was simplified.