Members of our union stand united with Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) members as they take strike action today in support of better wages and working conditions.
For the first time in sixteen years Queensland state school teachers are walking off the job, with over 50,000 QTU members participating in the strike action.
Speaking at the strike rally, IEU-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke said IEU members stood with the QTU.
“We joined the QTU rally today, their day of strike, one we can’t participate in, but we can certainly support the QTU and the members of the QTU in their pursuit for wage justice in Queensland,” he said.
“Our fight is their fight, their fight is our fight – always – when it comes to good working conditions and wages in Queensland,” he said.
Mr Burke also acknowledged IEU members at over 1200 non-government schools and early childhood education centres in Queensland who were encouraged to pass resolutions of support for QTU members and their strike action.
“Thank you for all the members out there, all the [IEU] Chapters out there who have expressed their support for the QTU,” he said.
“Know they appreciate it and we know that they’ll be there with us when we have our inevitable disputes with the non-government employers,” Mr Burke said.
QTU General Secretary Kate Ruttiman acknowledged the solidarity of IEU members during a speech to striking QTU members at Speakers’ Corner, in front of Parliament House in Brisbane.
“I want to give a really big call out to the Independent Education Union – Queensland and Northern Territory,” Ms Ruttiman said.
“They are standing with us in this fight…they know that if you’re not respected as state school teachers, their battles are just as big in the [non-government] sector to make sure that they’re respected.
“Thank you so much for standing with us,” she said.
View image highlights from events in Brisbane, Toowoomba and Cairns below.
