Queensland Teachers on Brink of Historic $100,000 Pay Deal: Government Offers 8% Rise Over Three Years as Union Bosses Urge Caution
- Queensland teachers could be earning a minimum of $100,000 by 2028 under a proposed pay deal from the state government
- The offer includes an 8% pay rise over three years, plus a $1,000 attraction and retention payment for regional areas and $400 for new teachers
- Union bosses have stopped short of recommending the offer, saying it’s a “democratic decision” for members to make
- A ballot on the proposed agreement is open until Friday, with further industrial action prevented until December if the vote fails
In a dramatic breakthrough in the long-running pay dispute, the Queensland government has offered the state’s teachers a historic 8% pay rise over three years, meaning every educator would be earning a minimum of $100,000 by November 2028.
The proposed agreement, announced on Sunday, comes after months of tense negotiations and a massive 50,000-strong teacher strike in August that brought the state’s education system to a standstill.
Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek hailed the offer as “historic”, saying it would make the state’s teachers among the highest-paid in the country. “Every teacher currently in Queensland classrooms by the end of this agreement will be earning at least $100,000,” he said.
But Queensland Teachers Union president Cresta Richardson has urged caution, saying the union executive wants members to make the decision. “This is a really democratic decision that we’re asking our membership for,” she said. “Opening it up to everyone to duly consider it without a recommendation or whatever it might be, is a really important step for our union.”
The proposed agreement also includes a $1,000 attraction and retention payment for regional areas, $400 payments for new teachers, and $100 per night for teachers on school camps. But Richardson said the union’s state council will meet on Saturday to discuss next steps once the outcome of the ballot is known.
If the vote fails, the government and union will go to arbitration at the Queensland Industrial Council (QIRC) in December, with further industrial action prevented until then. The union has also flagged concerns over classroom violence and chronic understaffing, which Langbroek said would be addressed through a new safety taskforce.
Richardson characterised the safety taskforce as a “step in the right direction”, but warned that the union wants to see “meaningful change” on the issue. “We need to see meaningful change on this and if this final offer is to be accepted by our members, then I want to know what the timelines are around when the government is accountable about reducing occupational violence in our schools,” she said.
The government has also promised to reduce administrative workloads for teachers, including upgrades to IT systems and the provision of 140 Workplace Health and Safety Officers to complete risk assessments in place of teachers.