Queensland Teachers’ Union members to vote on state government offer of 11% pay rise

Queensland teachers will receive a pay rise every year for the next three years under a deal put up by the state government this week.

Queensland teachers have been offered an 11 per cent pay rise over the next three years, with the state government submitting a formal enterprise bargaining agreement offer this week.

Queensland Teachers’ Union members will begin voting on the EB10 proposal from Monday, which outlined three years of annual pay rises plus a cost of living payment, and a review of the school resourcing system.

The terms of the offer included a four per cent wage increase this year, four per cent next year, and three per cent the following year.

Last month thousands of New South Wales teachers walked off the job over dissatisfaction with a 6.5 per cent increase over the next three years.

The Queensland offer also included entitlements and incentives specifically to attract more teachers to rural and remote schools, with Education Minister Grace Grace saying it was often more challenging to fill vacancies in those locations.

“For example, there are increased incentive payments, additional travel allowances, payment of applications for QCT registrations, and additional incentives for teachers returning to Australia to work in regional Queensland,” she said.

The Queensland government has offered school teachers an 11 per cent pay rise over the next three years.

In a video messages to members on Wednesday QTU General Secretary Kate Ruttiman said negotiations between the union and the state government over an offer had been ongoing since the beginning of the year.

“Over the most recent holiday period the government, the department and the QTU met regularly to try and present a formal offer to members which address the core interests of QTU members,” she said.

“When you have a look at this offer I think you should consider it in terms of the four priorities that were established by state council.”

But some teachers have taken to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with the offer.

One posted “another joke on an EBA”, while another said “I’ll be voting no and actively looking for another profession”.

But others urged their colleagues to consider the offer. “Absolutely voting yes – best offer in the country. 11 per cent over three years with a cost of living payment to support it”.

Ms Ruttiman said the council had identified “Queensland teachers and school leaders must be among the highest paid teachers and school leaders within the country”.

“They also identified that the offer must contain some provision to address cost of living pressures, and must contain provisions for attraction and retention of teachers and school leaders across the state,” she said.

“We are very aware (that) you’re not going to get a change to the way your workload continues to increase until we actually get the opportunity to look at the resources that are in your school and the duties that you’re expected to undertake, aligned to those particular recourses.”