Queensland engineers strike for the first time in decades

Transport engineers and technical workers across Queensland at the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) walked off the job in a statewide strike on Monday, the first in many decades. Up to 450 workers stopped work for twelve hours in Brisbane, Cairns, the Gold Coast, Mackay, Rockhampton, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Toowoomba and elsewhere.

Significant growth in union membership made the strike possible. In just a few months, Professionals Australia membership at TMR has tripled to 450. One engineer in Brisbane spoke of new pride that has developed: “Standing with my colleagues, I’m confident we can make a change through the power of being in a union.”

The action was in defiance of the state Liberal government’s wages policy. Engineers rejected an offer of an 8 percent wage rise over three years—the same at- or below-inflation deal offered to nurses and teachers. At rallies across the state, engineers demanded 20 percent.

Queensland is experiencing a record wave of infrastructure investment as the Brisbane Olympics approach. Major projects rely on public engineers, but low pay is leaving roles vacant. Many at TMR earn 20 to 30 percent less than their counterparts at Queensland Rail and Powerlink, even when working on the same projects.

“This action isn't solely about salary”, one Cairns engineer later told Red Flag via WhatsApp. “It's about fair compensation and preserving the knowledge base within TMR. We used to lead infrastructure design; now we’re becoming a contractor management department.”

That transformation away from in-house expertise and toward privatisation was a recurring theme on the day. “Our jobs are being contracted out at higher rates, and our conditions are well behind those in the industry performing the same work”, said another engineer in Rockhampton to Red Flag via WhatsApp.

Tensions escalated last week when TMR sent hundreds of engineers home without pay for implementing minor work bans—including bans on working more than 36.25 hours per week, completing introductory training, and submitting or approving timesheets. The retaliation only pushed more workers towards strike action. Engineers also linked their fight to those of others across the public sector. As one Brisbane engineer put it in a speech:

“Teachers are striking on Wednesday, and nurses have been taking action too. The bosses are watching us. If we settle for less, it tells others they’re worth less — and tells the bosses they can get away with it. But if we fight and win, it shows what union power can achieve.”

These are mostly older, white-collar, relatively well-paid professionals — the kinds of workers many assume would never strike. But with political leadership and ambitious demands, engineers are proving that, like all workers, they can fight back.