Exams cancelled as 50,000 teachers walk off the job in pay dispute
More than 50,000 Queensland teachers have walked off the job to fight for better pay and conditions, but the Education Minister is not backing down.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has hit back at Queensland teachers, saying strike action would make “no difference” leading up to arbitration at the end of December.
Exams will be impacted as more than 50,000 teachers walk off the job on Tuesday over an ongoing pay dispute – and the union says parents can thank Premier David Crisafulli.
It comes as hundreds of teachers congregate in Queens Gardens in Brisbane’s CBD.
Queensland Teachers’ Union president Cresta Richardson earlier said parents were urged to keep their children home or make alternative arrangements.
“Parents can thank the Premier for today’s strike,” Ms Richardson said.
“He could have communicated and agreed to the very basic, reasonable request we had for arbitration, and that would have stopped this strike.
“Instead, he did nothing.”
At the Brisbane rally she said the union had been “reasonable in our request”.
“Teachers have had enough of occupational violence, not being resourced enough to be able to teach the children the future of our state as we go through … this is why our members are joining in today,” she said.
She said issues had been on the table for 11 months.
“We’ve reached out multiple times (to the government) and there’s been crickets,” she said.
“We want improved conditions. We want to fix the torture.”
Jack Warner, who has been teaching for two years, said there was a constant struggle for resources and support.
He said classrooms were “crazy”.
Speaking shortly before the strikes began on Tuesday, Mr Langbroek again labelled the action “disappointing” and said the possibility of a third strike before the end of the year would be futile.
“That would be almost beyond disappointing that they’re trying to do something about which … will make no difference to what we’re trying to achieve,” he said.
Asked why neither he nor Premier David Crisafulli met privately with the union and intervened before the strike, Mr Langbroek said meetings “don’t happen” between himself and the union.
“The suggestion that the Minister or the Premier will sit down in a one-off process to cut a deal, is not how this process works,” he said.
“Because there’s not much point meeting with people when the goalposts keep changing in terms of the things they want.”
Mr Crisafulli is able to hold meetings with the union during the current conciliation stage.
The QIRC previously confirmed to The Courier-Mail that private meetings between the parties were also allowed during arbitration with permission from the Commissioner.
But, Mr Langbroek said they would not meet with a union who continue to “change the goalposts”.
“Even today, the president of the teachers union cannot say exactly how much of the wage rise she thinks would be a fair thing,” he said.
“So that’s quite strange, given that we’ve had a clear offer of 8 per cent over three years, which has been accepted by other unions with other incentives.”
Asked if the teachers could get a worse deal during arbitration, Mr Langbroek said he expected the independent arbitrators to take into account decisions made in wage deals for police, nurses and midwives and others currently being negotiated.
He said the government would not seek the option to only arbitrate the points of the wage deal that are still in disagreement.
“The offer that we made in conciliation is off the table,” he said.
He also rejected the possibility teachers could get an interim pay rise during the arbitration process.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles said Queensland teachers were “really angry”.
“They do a really important job, one of the most important jobs in our community, and they deserve to be valued and respected and listened to,” Mr Miles said.
“That’s not what this government has done.”
Mr Miles said Mr Crisafulli had promised he would sit down and negotiate a deal with our teachers, but instead, refused to meet with them at all.
“Unfortunately, that means they’ve had to take a second strike. That means parents are left stranded with kids at home. It means kids missing out on a day of school, and in some cases, exams and all of this is the responsibility of David Crisafulli,” Mr Miles said.
“It rests at his feet in terms of the arbitration process that will now take place.”
A whopping 109 schools will have Year 10 and 11 exams impacted by the strike action.
Mr Langbroek labelled the strike’s timing as disappointing.
He said families could be assured all state schools would be open as usual on Tuesday during the QTU’s industrial action.
“We respect the right of the union to take industrial action, but it’s disappointing they have chosen a time that will impact exams for students heading into their senior year, as well as school musicals, awards nights, camps, and end-of-year celebrations,” Mr Langbroek said.
The Department of Education has confirmed the teachers who strike will not be paid.
Multiple play centres will put on extra staff in anticipation of an influx of children, including Chipmunks in Everton Park and The Treetop Challenge’s three southeast locations.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said schools would remain operational and it would take all necessary steps to ensure disruptions were kept to a minimum.
“Schools will communicate with students and families about any changed arrangements for Tuesday and will work with the department to support students with any changes to assessment so that they are not disadvantaged,” she said.
“The department is always concerned about possible impacts of industrial action on students, particularly during these important final weeks of the school year where it may disadvantage
their learning outcomes and wellbeing.”
The walk-off has also forced a number of events to be cancelled or postponed, including Atherton State School’s year 11 camp and Oakleigh State School’s swimming carnival.
Wellers Hill State School’s Magical Melodies event has also been cancelled, and Eagleby State School has postponed its awards night.
The Department of Education has also postponed its Remote Ready program, a two-day event in Mount Isa for about 40 teachers who were moving to remote schools in 2026.
Industrial Relations Minister Jarrod Bleijie said if the QTU had consented to arbitration, it could have started before Christmas.
“It has to go to arbitration so they might as well just bring it forward – go to arbitration earlier and we get a good result for teachers and welfare of the students,” Mr Bleijie said.
Mr Bleijie said at this stage, the government had consented to arbitration, but the teachers’ union had not.
“I would call on them to do that,” he said.
The QTU confirmed arbitration would be triggered by December 31, when it would ask for an administrative 3 per cent salary increase and a narrowing of the matters to be resolved by the full bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.
“No one but the Premier and Minister wanted this strike. Our members lose another day’s pay, while parents and students are also affected, all because the Premier was too proud to pick up the phone,” Ms Richardson said.
More Coverage
Originally published as Exams cancelled as 50,000 teachers walk off the job in pay dispute
Qld state schools strike back in 2025 NAPLAN battle
