Guest article by Bec Barrigos, QTU rank and file and co-convenor of QLD Teachers’ Fightback
Union representation for teachers, nurses and others on the board of Workplace Health and Safety have been unceremoniously stripped by the Crisafulli government. This is the same government that locks up 10-year-olds and is expanding the state’s prison system in the name of ‘safety’ – it would be laughable if it wasn’t so tragic.
Occupational Violence and Aggression is a serious issue for teachers. We need smaller class sizes, more specialists in schools like guidance officers, teacher aides and learning support, and we need more time to be able to log incidents properly. The Education minister was boasting about reported school incidents dropping recently – even though teachers have been discouraged from reporting incidents in the first place!
Unfortunately, the Queensland Teachers’ Union current campaign regarding safety is not calling for these measures. It is instead proposing to include teachers into the criminal code act of 1899 under the definition of ‘public officer’ which will criminalise our students. The ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ policy hasn’t made us safer as a community, nor stopped violence in school, and it won’t. Instead of pouring more resources into prisons for younger and younger people, the government should be pouring in the resources to engage those who are falling through the ever-growing cracks in our society.
We also need more programs in schools to address rising misogyny and the influence of sexist influencers, like Andrew Tate, on our students. Unlikely, from a government that has just removed mentions of the word ‘gender’ from the Queensland Office for Women website. That’s why a fighting union movement is so crucial – we need an active union movement that involves members in public actions, like strikes and protests, to fight for improved conditions and put pressure on the government to force them to act. Leaving things in the hands of the government or playing into their agenda will not serve our interests.
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| JOE LABOURER AUG 17. 2026 |  |