Strike action planned for Darling Downs and South West QLD teachers

Parents are being asked to keep their children at home after Queensland Teachers Union members overwhelmingly vote to go on strike, leaving classrooms empty.

Members of the Toowoomba branch of the Queensland Teachers Union have called for a 24 hour strike to take effect on August 6.

State school parents are being urged to keep their kids home on August 6 with hundreds of Queensland Teachers Union members expected to go on strike, demanding better pay and conditions.

The strikes will affect schools across the Darling Downs, Lockyer Valley, and South West. QTU Darling Downs organiser Zeb Sugden said teachers across the region were worn out and overworked, pulling long hours to make up for staffing shortfalls.

“We are asking parents to support us,” he said.

“There will be a short-term disruption for long-term gain, Education Queensland is in crisis, we have unfilled vacancies in every school, and we have the combining of classes.

“We respectfully ask parents, if they can, to keep their kids home on Wednesday, please do.”

Teacher safety is high on their list of demands.

“We have reached a stalemate whereby the department is not listening,” Mr Sugden said.

“The Education Minister and the Premier have failed to address the issues that are compounding in our schools.

“The premiers and the minister have an opportunity to fix the issues by addressing occupational violence by retaining and respecting school leaders, by renumerating them by the work they do.

“We have seen more assaults on teachers and school leaders than we ever had before, this is evident in the amount of work cover claims that are submitted to Work Cover Queensland.”

QTU negotiators said the department needed better pay and incentives to retain valued staff who have covered the shortages and to attract new people to take up teaching.

The union claimed it had about 95 per cent of state school teachers as members, and most of them will be on strike on August 6.

While schools will still be open, it is understood there will be no classes with remaining teachers placed on supervision.

“There will be no learning,” Mr Sugden said.

“We have a duty to tell parents that school will not be normal next week.”

QCU secretary Zeb Sugden. Picture: Kevin Farmer

QTU members voted overwhelmingly in favour of protected industrial action following a membership-wide ballot process, with more than 38,000 members participating.

The industrial action is the first of its kind since 2009 and follows the start of the conciliation process in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

The union claims the staffing shortfall has led to teachers working longer hours, unpaid. This is after the state government offered an 8 per cent pay rise over three years and according to the union, this would leave Queensland teachers among the lowest paid in the country.

“There is a genuine feeling in our region that enough is enough,” Mr Sugden said.

“Our members can’t just keep giving of themselves and their own resources while fighting for students and have no recognition or respect coming back.

“They’re disappointed with the government’s offers and failure to acknowledge how much unpaid overtime they put in to keep our schools operating.”

In response, a Queensland Department of Education spokeswoman said that while the teachers had the right to strike, the government hopes to resolve the matter through negotiation.

“Schools will be open and operational on August 6,” she said.

“However, where alternative arrangements need to be made, principals will communicate with parents and carers in a timely manner through the usual channels.

“Appropriate support will be provided to students attending school, and schools remain

committed to minimising disruption to learning.

“Schools have contingency plans developed in consultation with regional offices and non-

teaching staff to maintain school operations.

“Principals will communicate with parents and carers about arrangements at their schools in

the coming days.”