Editorial: Staying stoic in times of uncertainty
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 127 No 2, 11 March 2022, page no.5
When I began planning this column, I considered debunking some of the myths spread by other organisations who purport to be unions – particularly by pointing out that they are not unions under the Queensland Industrial Relations Act and do not have a seat at the EB10 bargaining table.
In Queensland, only registered organisations can represent members in negotiations. As such, only the QTU can represent the interests of teachers and school leaders in the forthcoming negotiations for EB10.
I had a lot more to say, but the events of the past few weeks have made me reflect on what members need from their Union.
It is difficult to explain to someone just how much emotional energy it takes for our members to remain stoic and strong in the face of uncertainty. Over the past few years, members have worked tirelessly to provide students with a safe space to learn and grow amid the uncertainty of the pandemic. Throw in natural disasters and you can understand how the emotional energy it takes to front up every day despite worrying for their own families, their property and themselves could leave members wondering “How much more can we take?”
The care that the QTU members in schools and TAFE show for their students and their communities takes a toll in these difficult times. Quite often, members will hear what is happening via media reports before their employer can advise them, due primarily to the need to allow parents to make arrangements for the care and support of their children when schooling and TAFE are disrupted.
Despite the employers’ best endeavours to provide information as quickly as possible, it can be frustrating to feel as though you are one step behind. And its not because you don’t care for your students. It’s an assessment of how much energy you have expend to keep things safe and calm, all while determining how much time and effort it will take to look after students, your family and your own wellbeing.
This is one of the reasons why we have reflected on how we communicate with you. We know it is faster to send you a direct email rather than a Newsflash. We have also taken to using our social media as a space to provide information and have removed the capacity to comment. With members using so much of their emotional energy reserves in doing the best they can for Queensland students every day, we need a safe space for members where they can access up-to-date, accurate information. If members wish to raise issues or concerns, they can still do so by emailing the QTU, contacting QTAD, talking to their QTU Organiser or Workplace Reps, or using the democratic structures of the Union. Workplaces, branches, area councils and State Council provide members from schools and TAFE with a voice in Union decisions.
A real Union has structures in place to inform decisions, but also acts to ensure member safety. With the QTU’s core priority for 2022 being to restore respect in the profession by providing genuine professional autonomy for all members, addressing violence in schools, achieving genuine workload reduction, and providing healthy and safe workplaces that are free from harassment and discrimination, it is important that we, as a Union, act to deliver these for our members and our employees in any forums held under our name.
Real Unions also use member money to support them. To this end, members who have lost personal effects because of the most recent floods in the South East and the Fraser Coast may have access to the Union’s Natural Disaster Fund. More information about this can be found on the QTU website at https://www.qtu.asn.au/advice-natural-disasters