More than 50,000 public school teachers in Queensland staged a 24-hour statewide strike yesterday (25th) after pay and working-condition negotiations collapsed, marking their second walkout this year. The action forced 109 high schools to postpone or cancel Year 10 and 11 final exams, with some extracurricular activities also affected. Large-scale rallies were held in Brisbane, Townsville, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.
The strike stemmed from months of unsuccessful enterprise agreement negotiations between the teachers’ union and the state government. The union previously rejected the government’s proposed 8% pay rise over three years, arguing the increase fails to keep pace with inflation and does not address structural issues such as excessive workloads, teacher shortages and high attrition rates. It has insisted that the government must first approve a 3% pay rise for administrative staff before agreeing to enter arbitration.
The state government countered that it has already offered “the best workable proposal” and has agreed to refer the dispute to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for arbitration, urging the union to cooperate. Industrial Relations Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the government has shown goodwill, but the union is refusing to allow the deadlock to be resolved through formal mechanisms.
Union president Cresta Richardson criticised Premier David Crisafulli for refusing to engage in direct negotiations, stressing the strike could have been avoided if the government had accepted the basic arbitration requirement.
Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said he respects teachers’ right to strike but expressed disappointment over disruption to students, emphasising the government “will not back down,” even if the union launches a third strike before the end of the year. He accused the union of “shifting the goalposts,” making negotiations difficult to progress.
The Department of Education confirmed teachers participating in the strike would not be paid for the day and said affected students and parents have been notified to ensure schools can provide necessary support and minimise the impact on exams and learning.