Queensland teachers to begin rolling strikes

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE -- Queensland teachers are set to begin a major campaign of rolling 24-hour strikes from May 14 to May 22, to press home their demand for an increased pay offer and to protest against the Borbidge government's so-called Leading Schools program of school-based management.

Queensland Teachers Union vice-president Julie-Ann McCullough said on May 8 that strikes were a last resort, but that teachers had no other option.

Under the state government's new industrial laws, teachers would not be able to strike once an agreement had been reached, so they needed to secure guarantees over Leading Schools before signing.

The union has called for stricter controls on school councils to prevent them from diverting funds from teachers' salaries to other resources.

Members have also voted overwhelmingly to reject the government's pay offer of 12.5% over three years and called for an increase of 18% over the same period.

The QTU had a win on May 8 when the Industrial Commission refused to accept a government push for an early hearing in order to pre-empt the strike campaign by declaring the bargaining period over.

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