Gold Coast principals plead with union not to strike during Year 12 exams
Eighteen school heads have warned Queensland’s teachers’ union that strike action during Year 12 exams could backfire and damage community support.
An alliance of Gold Coast principals have pleaded with the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) to call off a potential strike as Year 12 students sit their final exams.
The Gold Coast Secondary Principals Alliance has written to the QTU as pay deal tensions with the state government rise.
The letter, written by Robina High’s Ben Weeks and Qld Academies Health Sciences’ Vanessa Rebgetz and addressed to QTU general secretary Kate Ruttiman, is countersigned by 16 other school heads and calls for other measures to be taken other than strike action.
“Students are at the centre of our work and the next two weeks are a priority for our Year 12 students,” they wrote.
“Our position as an Alliance is to ask the union to reconsider undertaking strike action at this time and consider what the unintended consequences might be if industrial action is ultimately deemed necessary, we would support a measured alternative such as work-to-rule rather than a full strike.
“Our principal members have expressed several concerns, including the risk of the government framing the narrative as: ‘We made an offer, it was rejected, we’re following the arbitration process, and the union is striking regardless’, a perception that arbitration could be used to remove existing entitlements from the (enterprise bargaining), the likelihood that some members – including the 30 per cent who supported the offer and the 40 per cent who did not vote – may choose not to participate in strike action and the risk that communities may not be as accepting of strike action and send their children to school causing further issues.”
The principals wrote that the wellbeing of year 12 students sitting their final QCAA external exams and end-of-school celebrations were their priorities.
In response QTU president Cresta Richardson said: “As part of the discussions to take protected industrial action, it was decided no matter what, no year 12 exams were to be affected, disrupted or rescheduled as a result”.
“The QTU values our Gold Coast principals and the valuable work they do.
“They are part of our 51,500 members statewide who voice their opinions and vote for any action the union undertakes.”
The dispute between the government and the union has been ongoing for months, with the final offer of an 8 per cent pay rise rejected earlier this month.
Under the government’s proposal, teachers would receive a 3 per cent pay rise this year, with a further 2.5 per cent rise in 2026 and 2027.
The QTU last week announced plans to hold a strike on November 13, the same day more than 7000 students were to sit exams.
However it backed out of strike action just hours later.
The QTU said yesterday it had not given an official direction to strike.
State Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek last week stood by the government’s “historic” proposal.
“Our offer would have seen every beginning teacher earn more than those in any other state, and every classroom teacher paid over $100,000 by the end of the agreement,” he said.
Originally published as Gold Coast principals plead with union not to strike during Year 12 exams
