About 40,000 Queensland teachers have staged their first strike in almost a decade and warn more will follow unless the government boosts its pay offer.
More than 3,000 teachers picketed parliament house in Brisbane, warning Tuesday's strike was just the beginning in their fight to achieve pay parity with teachers in other states.
"Queensland Teachers are not slack, Anna we promise we'll be back," they chanted in a direct message for Premier Anna Bligh.
Those who marched in Brisbane were among 40,000 public school primary and secondary teachers who staged a one-day strike after they rejected the government's offer of a 12.5 per cent pay rise over three years.
At a pre-march meeting at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, a sea of hands unanimously passed four resolutions condemning the government's offer and clearing the way for future strike action if the unions demands are not met.
Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU) president Steve Ryan told the vocal crowd they deserved the same pay as teachers in other states.
"A beginning teacher in Queensland is paid $4,000 less than one in Western Australia," he said.
Many state school principals also marched after resisting pressure from the government to stay at school.
Education Minister Geoff Wilson said the 15,741 students who attended schools across the state despite the strike were well looked after.
He said the government's pay offer was "fair and reasonable" in tough economic times and would make Queensland teachers among the best paid in the country - a claim the union angrily denies.
"It is a concern to me that teachers may contemplate additional action that disrupts the lives of parents and students in school," Mr Wilson said.
But QTU general secretary John Battams said teachers were entirely justified in seeking pay rates on par with their counterparts interstate.
"This union is asking for nothing more than a policy which is applied to Queensland MPs," he told the rally.
In a show of solidarity for public school teachers, representatives from the Queensland Independent Education Union (QIEU) attended the rally, along with their general secretary Terry Burke.
Mr Burke said the 14,000 QIEU members, who were not legally allowed to strike, met on Monday to show their support for public sector educators.
"Our members are very appreciative of your key role in establishing the benchmarks for pay," he told the assembled crowd.
Australia Education Union (AEU) federal president Angelo Gavrielatos flew in from Melbourne for the march and said the strike was supported by teachers across the nation.
It's the first time in nine years Queensland teachers have gone on strike.
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