Industrial relations and workers’ compensation reviews: What they mean for you
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 131 No 3, 22 May 2026, page no.8
The Queensland Government has commenced reviews of two cornerstone pieces of workplace legislation: the Industrial Relations Act 2016 (the IR Act) and the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act (the WCR Act).
Together, these laws underpin the pay, conditions, bargaining rights, and injury protections of state public sector workers, including teachers and school leaders. The outcomes of these reviews have the potential to shape working lives for many years to come.
Industrial relations
The IR Act review is focused on whether Queensland’s industrial relations framework continues to support good faith bargaining, freedom of association, and productivity in the public sector and local government, including schools. It will also examine public sector wage setting mechanisms and how collective bargaining operates alongside the State Wage Case and the Public Sector Wages Policy.
From a union perspective, these issues go to the heart of teachers’ working conditions. Wage policies and bargaining rules directly affect salary outcomes, workload arrangements, and job security. Any move that further constrains bargaining risks entrenching wage suppression and limiting the ability of educators to negotiate improvements that reflect professional responsibilities, increasing complexity of work, and cost of living pressures.
The review will also scrutinise the operation, governance, and conduct of registered industrial organisations and union officials. While unions support transparency and lawful conduct, there is concern that increased regulation could be used to limit union activity, discourage organising, and weaken members’ collective voice under the guise of productivity or “harmonious industrial relations”.
Unlike previous IR Act reviews, there will be no targeted consultations or stakeholder meetings, making written submissions a critical avenue for union advocacy.
Workers’ compensation
The review of the WCR Act will focus on whether the scheme remains fair, sustainable, and fit for purpose. Key issues under examination include the growth in psychological injury claims, fraud prevention and enforcement, self-insurance arrangements, and comparisons with schemes in other jurisdictions.
Importantly, the review explicitly excludes changes to common law rights. However, unions remain concerned that an emphasis on “sustainability” and cost pressures could lead to proposals that narrow access to entitlements, particularly for psychological injuries. Evidence from other states shows that such reforms often result in stricter eligibility thresholds, higher burdens of proof and reduced support for injured workers.
Queensland’s workers’ compensation scheme is comparatively strong and financially sound. There is no clear evidence that recent improvements to worker protections have undermined its viability, reinforcing union concerns about importing models from jurisdictions where restrictions have caused harm.
While reviews of workers’ compensation legislation are not uncommon, this review is taking place in a context where workers’ rights, particularly around psychological injury, have been the subject of significant debate nationally. For educators, understanding the purpose of the review and the union response is critical.
Union response: A collective approach
The QTU is actively engaged in both reviews and is working closely with the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) and affiliated unions. This collective approach recognises that changes to industrial relations and workers’ compensation laws affect workers across sectors.
The QTU is preparing its own submissions to reflect the specific experiences of teachers and school leaders, while also contributing to joint union submissions led by the QCU. This strategy ensures members’ voices are heard and strengthens a unified union position focused on protecting workers’ rights, maintaining strong public sector bargaining, and preserving fair and effective injury protections.
Strong member awareness and engagement are vital to ensuring these reviews do not weaken hard-won rights, but instead reinforce fairness, safety, and collective strength in Queensland workplaces.