The Queensland Government said its proposal guaranteed every classroom teacher would earn more than $100,000 annually by November 2028.
The Queensland Teachers Union, however, said the offer was misleading for those entering the workforce.
It would have lifted classroom wages by 3 per cent this year, followed by 2.5 per cent in 2026 and 2027, which equates to teachers currently employed at the lowest pay rates earning $104,000 plus superannuation by 2027, however newer entry-level teachers would only reach $95,000 or $99,000, plus superannuation and various incentives.
The QTU argues that this contradicts the Government’s declaration that the wage offer “would have seen every teacher in a classroom paid over $100,000 by the end of the agreement”.
Under the proposed three-year deal, classroom teachers would be paid $135,000, plus super and incentives, by the end of the agreement.
Average principal salaries would rise to more than $200,000 plus super, and a new safety task force would be implemented to stamp out violence.
The Government would also make $1000 attraction and retention payments in regional areas, along with $400 payments for new teachers at the start of their careers.
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said it was a historic offer that backed teachers with higher wages, better conditions and reduced workloads, but the QTU’s 51,500 members voted down the deal last Friday, sending both parties back to the drawing board.
“While this is disappointing, I respect the process and will continue to engage with Queensland teachers,” Langbroek said.
“It now falls to the QTU to explain why this deal was not accepted.”
The deal was rejected by a two-thirds majority – 67.6 per cent of voters.
On Facebook, the QTU said “throughout months of negotiations, members had been clear about what was needed to address the teacher shortage crisis in the state’s schools – safe workplaces, competitive salaries and real support for teachers and school leaders”.
When they voted, the members, it said, made it clear that the Government’s final offer did not deliver on these claims.
“The QTU has said from the outset of negotiations, serious reform is needed to address the teacher shortage crisis, occupational violence and aggression and reduce crippling workload,” the union said in a statement.
The QTU yesterday held a meeting to determine when 50,000 members will walk off the job over the next three weeks, after Premier David Crisafulli confirmed his Government will not make a last-ditch wage offer to teachers to prevent a second round of statewide strikes.
The statewide strike date is yet to be determined, however, as students enter exam period.
It will be the union’s final opportunity to launch protected strike action before wage negotiations enter arbitration – a process that could take years.
Crisafulli said the Government would deal with the QTU in good faith as it approached arbitration with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC).
Teachers walked off the job in August over pay and conditions for the first time since 2009 after negotiations with the Government broke down.
“The Education Minister has had months to understand what his portfolio requires of him,” the QTU’s Facebook post stated.
“Now it’s time for the Premier to honour his commitment and step in to ensure Queensland’s teachers and school leaders receive a fair deal that truly values their work.”
