Teacher strikes on hold as union members hold Parliament protest

In a fresh twist, a group of rogue Teachers Union members protested outside State Parliament against the union leadership’s decision to hold off on the statewide work bans in schools.

Around 35 rogue Queensland Teachers Union members gathered outside State Parliament on Wednesday night protesting against the union leadership’s decision to suspend the planned industrial action. Picture: Toby Crockford

The threatened statewide industrial action in Queensland schools remains shelved by the Industrial Relations Commission’s last-minute intervention, but some Queensland Teachers Union members disagree with their executive’s decision to back down for now.

The union executive told its 48,000 members to partake in low-level work bans, which were due to start on Wednesday and continue through to next Thursday, May 9.

It followed negotiations between the Department of Education and QTU failing to resolve concerns around teacher shortages, increased workloads linked to the new national curriculum, and student suspension and expulsion data used as a performance measure.

But the Department of Education took the case to the QIRC at the eleventh-hour and the Commission ruled the planned industrial action “unprotected and unlawful”.

The QTU released an updated statement late on Wednesday hinting that the work bans would not go ahead, and instead looking forward to a promised workforce roundtable.

“The QIRC decision will not stop the QTU from campaigning for greater resourcing for our members to assist with the workload and safety issues they are currently facing,” union president Cresta Richardson said.

“There are a number of activities that members will be undertaking to support campaign action.

“In correspondence with the [Department of Education] Director-General yesterday, the QTU acknowledged the arrangements now in place for a workforce roundtable.

“The QTU calls for a commitment by the Department to come to the table with urgent and systematic solutions rather than the inconsistent arrangements currently in place.”

However, on Wednesday night, some rogue QTU members gathered outside State Parliament protesting against the union leadership’s decisions and the overall situation.

“We’re pretty angry,” pre-service secondary teacher Kim Collett said, acting as a spokeswoman for the disgruntled QTU members.

“It is a disgrace that when teachers are finally trying to stand up for themselves and fight to address the workload issues, the Department of Education and QIRC have struck it down.”

The estimated 35 union members who gathered made it clear that they believe the QTU leadership should push on with the work bans and defy the QIRC ruling.

“We need desperate action. The teaching profession gets worse every year, we cannot wait for our actions to be palatable to the QIRC and State Government,” Ms Collette said.

“We need to cause a bit of pain and disruption so we can be heard, because we have pursued every other avenue and we haven’t been heard.

“To Di Farmer and Steven Miles … teachers are not going to go silently, we are going to fight. People have come out in the middle of their week at the end of their workday to take a stand and fight for our profession.”

Department of Education Director-General Michael De’Ath issued a warning to all state school employees late on Tuesday, following the QIRC ruling against the planned action.

“This afternoon, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission issued orders to the QTU and its members to not participate in the work bans,” he wrote.

“These actions are deemed to be unprotected and unlawful industrial action and cannot proceed.

“It is disappointing that the QTU did not communicate their member directions to the Department until late this morning.

“The QTU’s lack of communication to the Department about its ballot outcome, despite our repeated attempts to engage with the QTU, is uncharacteristic of the usual professional engagement between our organisations.

“To be clear, Department of Education staff are directed not to participate in any of the work bans or other actions directed by the QTU as a result of the recent ballot.

“Participation in any of the QTU work bans by a staff member may be considered a failure to follow a reasonable and lawful direction issued by the Department, as your employer.”