State Council Report: 10 August 2024
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 6, 23 August 2024, page 4.
QTU State Council was convened at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 10 August.
EB11
Delegates confirmed the interest-based bargaining approach to negotiations for a replacement certified agreement. Council endorsed the following five interest areas for EB11, based on the views of members expressed during months of consultation.
- Remuneration that recognises the professional qualifications of members.
- Attracting and retaining teachers and school leaders.
- Implementing the Comprehensive Review of School Resourcing.
- Supporting teachers and school leaders as professionals.
- Fair and safe workplaces.
Bargaining will commence next year in the lead up to the expiry of the agreement on 30 June 2025. Delegates at the 2025 QTU Biennial Conference will consider any offer made by the state government on the expiry of the current certified agreement.
State Election
A list of election asks was endorsed by Council ahead of the State Election in October. QTU members will be seeking to meet with sitting MPs, members of the Opposition and candidates from key major and minor parties to seek commitments on the election asks and those of the broader union movement. (See pages 9 and 17 for more information).
The QTU 2024 State Election Asks are:
- safe and secure schools and communities
- full funding of state schools and TAFE
- maximising professional collaboration time
- regional education plan
- enterprise bargaining
- public sector union whole-of-government asks.
EB10 implementation
An update was provided on yet-to-be implemented items from the current certified agreement. The most important are the review of transfer rating and teacher mobility and the Comprehensive Review of School Resourcing. Both reports are due to be delivered to the Minister for Education by 30 December.
Valuing our Profession campaign
The Minister for Education, the Hon. Di Farmer, outlined recent government announcements around free teacher accommodation for teachers in 28 schools, increases in attraction and incentive payments in selected TR2 and TR3 schools, and other initiatives arising from the Teacher Workforce Roundtable, the Behaviour Management Roundtable and the Occupational Violence and Aggression Strategy.
Policy change and rules review
QTU Structures, Procedures and Services Policy Section 5 was amended to require Specific Interest Groups (SIG) to complete campaign action work plans, including specific and measurable goals aligned to the QTU’s strategic plan. SIGs may be formed for a minimum of twelve months, with annual reviews, and the General Secretary reserves the right to terminate a SIG should there be insufficient business or a lack of quorum.
The QTU will establish an interim Rules Review Committee, which will next year start reviewing and updating QTU rules as appropriate. Any proposed rule changes will come back to future State Council or Biennial Conference meetings for consideration.
QTU Strategic Objectives
Council adopted new QTU Strategic Objectives for 2024-2028, which complement the 2024 Priorities already adopted.
- Ensure member physical and psychosocial safety.
- Protect and enhance member working conditions and salaries.
- Strengthen legal and industrial support for members.
- Promote and protect public education and the teaching profession.
TUH update
John Battams, chair of TUH health fund board of directors, spoke about the merger with Teachers Health Fund, which will occur on 1 July 2025 pending a vote at the November AGM.
Branch business
Motions were received from branches regarding the reinstatement of comments on the QTU Facebook page. Council asked the QTU to investigate the viability of comments and a member-only social media group, with a report to be provided to November Council. This will include consideration of outcomes of a WHS review of the potential psychosocial harm to QTU employees or members exposed to false and malicious comments and hateful memes.
Trustees report
The Trustees have made arrangements for the commissioning of the GA Daughtrey Art Bequest for 2025 Conference. They are also deliberating on the purchase of a new property in the South-East corner. Remedial works are in place for the Sunshine Coast office to repair the air-conditioning.
Reconciliation Action Plan
The 2024 Doctor Evelyn Scott Memorial Lecture was held on the Friday evening prior to August Council at Parliament House. The keynote speaker was Doctor Janine Gertz, who has connections to both the Gugu Badhun in the Upper Burdekin region and the Ngadjonji on the Atherton Tablelands and is a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland’s Centre for Indigenous Futures.
Council received an update on the 2024 First Nations Conference, which is due to be held on 16 and 17 September in Townsville.
TAFE Report
An update was provided on the significant skills strategy announcement made by the Miles government, expanding free TAFE places, and training more Queenslanders with the skills needed to maximise employment outcomes. State Council also received a report on a number of matters currently before the QIRC. These include individual employee matters and the ongoing East Coast Plumbing Team dispute.