Queensland Teachers Strike for Fair Pay as Tensions Rise Over Unequal Deals
Next week, for the first time in over 16 years, Queensland’s teachers are going on strike — and it’s shaping up to be a major moment in the state’s ongoing public sector pay negotiations. A 24-hour work stoppage is planned for Wednesday, August 6, as teachers push back against what they’re calling an unfair and unacceptable pay offer from the state government.
This move has come after months of negotiations that, according to the Queensland Teachers’ Union, have led nowhere. The union says this strike isn’t something they’ve taken lightly. In fact, it was only decided after a two-week internal ballot where over 95% of members voted in favour of industrial action. That’s more than 36,000 teachers saying enough is enough. Their message is clear: they want a fair deal.
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Now, this strike will affect roughly 570,000 students across state schools in Queensland. Parents have been asked to keep their kids at home, though any children who do show up will still be supervised — just without any official lessons being taught that day. It’s a disruption, no doubt, but the union says it's a necessary step after years of underinvestment and rising workloads.
Interestingly, this all comes at a time when the government has just inked a swift and generous pay deal with the Queensland Police. That deal includes a 3% pay rise starting this year, plus a retention bonus of $8,000. Nurses and midwives, who have been locked in their own long-running negotiations, were quick to criticise the government for what they see as unequal treatment. Many are asking why police were prioritised — and whether gender plays a role, since nursing is a predominantly female profession.
Sarah Beaman from the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union didn’t hold back. She said nurses have been fighting for months just to keep existing conditions, while police managed to secure improvements in a matter of weeks. The disparity has sparked frustration across frontline services, raising questions about how different sectors are valued.
Meanwhile, the Education Minister insists the government remains committed to reaching a deal with teachers. They’ve met 17 times, he says, and talks are ongoing — though the current offer of a 3% raise followed by smaller increases in the following years was flatly rejected by the union.
So, as the date approaches, all eyes are on next week’s strike. It’s not just about wages — it’s about how educators, nurses, and other essential workers are respected and supported in Queensland. And clearly, many of them feel that respect is long overdue.
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