Schools arbitration update
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 131 No 2, 2 April 2026, page no 9.
The previous edition of the Queensland Teachers’ Journal had already gone to print when QTU Officers and the State of Queensland (Department of Education) appeared before the Full Bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) in the 2026 schools arbitration.
This article is an accurate recording of recent events, in the days immediately after the meeting of the QTU’s State Council in March, and the article foreshadows work that will be undertaken as this edition of the Journal arrives, during the Autumn school holidays.
Arbitration is a protracted process, with a final outcome potentially not determined until 2027. The process is now firmly within the jurisdiction of the QIRC, which involves:
- the QIRC issuing directions orders, and setting out procedures and timelines
- the parties identifying matters in dispute
- hearings
- parties filing written submissions and submissions in reply
- deliberation by the Full Bench prior to their decision.
The schools arbitration roadmap can be seen to the left of this article. It is also available on the QTU’s schools arbitration webpage.
At the time of writing, the school arbitration case has reached the second milestone of the roadmap.
- Directions Orders have begun to be issued.
- The QTU has sought an interim pay increase.
- QTU and the department are identifying outstanding disputed matters.
- Evidence and submissions are being prepared.
Directions Orders
During the Autumn school holidays, the QTU and department will jointly file a list of matters that are in dispute. At the time of writing and from the QTU’s perspective, the matters in dispute deal with six interrelated themes of:
- attraction and retention measures (e.g. salary increases and recognition of rural and remote service)
- salary classification structure (e.g. access to the senior and experienced senior teacher classification in stream 1, and the number of steps in streams 2 and 3)
- dates and quantum of salary increases
- measures to support peer-to-peer collegial work (e.g. student free days)
- allowances (e.g. call-out allowance)
- impact of the school resourcing review.
Separately, during the holidays, the QTU and the department will be able to file further submissions regarding the QTU’s application for an interim pay increase.
Interim pay increase
The QTU has filed an application seeking an interim pay increase of 3 per cent and a cost-of-living uplift adjustment (CUA), in accordance with Public Sector Wages Policy (PSWP).
The application aligns with both the broader PSWP, and the employee expense allocations identified in the Queensland Government’s 2025-26 Queensland Budget.
The QTU’s application is also informed by historical outcomes. Our experience is that claims for an interim pay increase of more than government wages policy are typically dismissed. This occurred in the 2003 arbitration, when the QTU’s application for an 8 per cent interim increase was dismissed.
Importantly, the QTU’s application does not limit our claims in full arbitration, including our arguments for attraction and retention measures, and for members to be among the highest‑paid nationally.
Outstanding disputed matters
Last year, the Queensland Government’s position was aligned to its wages policy. Long-standing teacher attraction and retention measures, like the Remote Area Incentive Scheme, funding for staffing in accordance with student/teacher ratios based on established class size targets, and funding to ensure HOD-C positions in primary schools, were at risk.
With the assistance of the QIRC, the QTU is continuing to work with the department to narrow the matters that are in dispute.
This is crucial work that is securing hard fought and won conditions like non‑contact time, including additional NCT for beginning teachers, additional discretionary RoRRS days, digital technologies clauses limiting unnecessary digital communication, and paid summer and vacation leave for temporary teachers.
Preparation of evidence and submissions
While work on narrowing the disputed matters is occurring, the QTU is also preparing to file submissions to support our case for attraction and retention measures, including salaries that are among the highest paid in Australia. The QTU submissions will be a blend of expert witness reports and evidence of teachers’ and school leaders’ daily work-life experiences.
QTU members can keep up to date with the latest on the schools arbitration case by reading QTU Newsflashes and the QTU’s schools arbitration webpage.