Teachers to decide today whether the Palaszczuk Government’s pay deal is enough to defer walkout

Queensland teachers are set to become among highest paid in the country with the State offering a $1250 bonus, 2.5 per cent pay rise and other perks to avoid a planned July 18 strike.

TEACHERS will decide today whether a $1 billion, three-year pay deal to make them among the highest paid in the country is good enough to defer a planned statewide strike.

Education Minister Grace Grace yesterday revealed the “very good” pay deal struck with the Queensland Teachers Union to avoid a strike.

It includes a one-off $1250 sign-on bonus for about 30,000 “stream one” teachers for accepting the new agreement, as well as a base 2.5 per cent pay increase.

Executive principals – about 40 across the state – will become the nation’s best paid, raking in about $211,398 a year under a new classification.

Experienced senior teachers will also have the chance to earn more with a new pay tier created to increase their pay after three years to $110,500, up from the current $101,000.

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Ms Grace said those teachers could also then apply to be a “highly accomplished teacher” or “lead teacher” those pay packets increasing to $117,000 and $128,000 from July 2021.

Beginner teachers who go bush will also be offered a $1000 bonus from next year.

Several concessions have been made to address workload including an additional 30 minutes non-contact time for primary and special schools from 2022 and a new workload advisory council.

The deal is expected to cost taxpayers up to $1 billion over three years.

Ms Grace said the deal was within Budget and within the 2.5 per cent wages policy.

It comes just weeks before teachers were due to walkout of the classroom in a statewide strike on July 18.

Kevin Bates, President QLD Teachers Union

QTU President Kevin Bates said the deal would now be put to teachers with delegates at the union’s conference to vote on deferring strike action today.

“We will be recommending to our members that the strike to be deferred,” Mr Bates said.

Members will then be balloted on the final deal and whether the strike will be called off completely.

That is expected to happen by the end of the month.

A rally planned for tomorrow has been cancelled.

Ms Grace said it was the government’s expectation that the strike would be called off.

“At the end of the day the delegates make the decision but this is a very good deal.”

“It’s the Government’s expectation that it (the strike) will be averted but obviously subject to delegates agreeing to that,” she said.