Fair and safe workplaces
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 130 No 6, 5 September 2025, page no 12 & 13.
During the strike meeting in Brisbane, Deputy General Secretary Brendan Crotty’s speech on fair and safe workplaces drew a passionate response from the thousands of members assembled at the Brisbane meeting. Here is a taste.
"The government’s election commitment to let teachers teach and leaders lead has not materialised. How can you teach, when you feel unsafe? How do you lead, when your decisions are not backed?
"We are seeing the perfect storm of internal policy conflict. You can’t say there is zero tolerance for occupational violence and aggression and then question a school leader’s decision to suspend a student or ban a violent parent from the worksite. Or question the capability of the teacher who has been sexually harassed by a student or ask a teacher how they contributed to being assaulted today.
"Teachers and school leaders are trained professionals, tasked to make decisions that protect the good order and management of the school and improve the teaching and learning environment for everybody.
"Instead, their capability and commitment is questioned and interrogated, adding insult to injury when there should be support. It is a story that plays out every day.
"I can tell you that there is not a teacher and school leader capability challenge in our system. But there is a student complexity reality and an unrealistic expectation by your employer that those levels of complexity can be individually catered for.
"It’s time your employer admitted that and resourced your school properly, improved your working conditions and your students’ learning conditions, and paid you nation-leading salaries."
To read the full speech, click here.
"I participate in protected industrial action because our kids deserve better — and so do the people who show up for them every single day. This isn’t about making noise for the sake of it. It’s about making sure our voices are heard when decisions are being made that directly affect our students, our classrooms, and our profession.
"We are like the custodians of a dry creek bed — we know the value of water, and we know what happens when it stops flowing. Our schools are beginning to feel the drought: fewer resources, increasing demands, and staff stretched to their limits. We can’t keep pouring from empty buckets. This action is about turning the tap back on — to ensure sustainable workloads, fair pay, and a future where our schools are places of growth, not burnout.
"At the heart of this is our students. They deserve teachers and leaders who are well-supported, well-resourced, and well-respected. Every child, regardless of background, deserves access to a quality education — and that can’t happen when our system is running on fumes.
"Taking protected action is not about turning our backs on our students; it’s about facing the system and saying: enough is enough. We stand together, like trees in a strong forest, protecting the next generation from being short-changed.
"I take this stand because I care — about our profession, our future, and most of all, our kids. And I won’t stay silent while the ground beneath us continues to crack."
Zan Branford, Principal, Northgate State School
"Being first-year teachers and part of such an incredible moment is almost mind-numbing at times. To not only be seen, but clearly see others out in support of this moment as well was captivating. To be in our early stages of teaching and to have the explicit and outspoken support to make our future as positive as possible provided hope of what our future could look like.
"Hearing stories from other teachers and their struggles really showed us how lucky we are to be at Pacific Pines SHS. We got chills when at the QTU rally, the speaker addressed OVA and was met with raucous applause – this was by far the biggest response to any of the speeches that morning, clearly underlining that this was the sticking point of teachers that day. Seeing students take part in the march itself gave us hope for the future – and real hope that we would see our demands met.
"In the wake of the strike itself, we’ve had dozens of conversations with students about the strike, and THEY understand what the reasons are. it’s not just about pay, it’s about everything else, and it’s so gratifying to see the conversation shift in the wake of the strike to the real reasons teachers are standing up and stepping out.
Natalie Martin and Jordan Vasquez, first year teachers at Pacific Pines SHS
"The lead-up to the teacher strike was not easy. As a principal, I felt the weight of two responsibilities: honouring my role in leading and managing the school and standing alongside my colleagues in advocating for change. There were pressures, and it appeared there were choices — but in truth, the moment was bigger than a single day. The ultimate goal made the decision clearer. To not be bold and courageous would have been to let down the community of teachers, parents, and students who were standing with me.
"Stepping away from my post, while ensuring those students who still attended were supervised, was challenging. Yet, the overwhelming support from our community in the lead-up and on the day reminded me why this action mattered. Parents, carers, and local voices united in understanding that better working conditions for educators lead directly to better learning conditions for children.
"When teachers have the time, resources, and manageable workloads they need, they can do what they do best: ignite curiosity, inspire learning, and ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. Striking was not about turning away from our students — it was about facing forward, determined to shape a better future for them.
"The day of the action reaffirmed that change is born from courage and community. While it was difficult to step away, I know that our collective action will help create classrooms where both teachers and students flourish. And that is worth standing for."
Ursula Carty, Principal, Park Lake State School
