Teachers plan state-wide strikes
BY BILL MASON
BRISBANE — After teachers at Sarina High School near Mackay walked off the job for 24 hours on May 23, the Queensland Teachers Union has warned that unless Premier Peter Beattie began serious talks on pay and conditions, he would face an industrial battle "like he has never seen before".
The state's 30,000 teachers are seeking pay rises of up to 8%, a guarantee from the government that class sizes will be reduced and a funding commitment for special education teachers. They are planning a state-wide one-hour stop-work meeting on June 6, and a further 24-hour strike on June 14.
In an attempt to head off the strikes, the state government on May 25 made an offer of an immediate interim pay rise, in exchange for an end to industrial action.
The government said the offer would be paid in advance of an Industrial Relations Commission arbitration hearing on the dispute and teachers could enjoy the higher salary for an extra six months, depending on how quickly the dispute was resolved in the commission.
But QTU president, Julie-Ann McCullough, has recommended members reject the offer, saying "We believe this is just a tactic of this government, that they are not in any way serious about trying to negotiate."
Striking, McCullough said, "is our key bargaining tool and we believe it does make a difference when we take industrial action".