Frontline health workers to stop work across Queensland

Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s “a bit disappointed” that members of her own union have stopped work today in protest of the public servants pay freeze.

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s “a bit disappointed” that members of her own union were taking strike action today in protest of the public servants pay freeze.

Frontline health workers were due to strike across the state today to protest the State Government’s contentious pay rise freeze.

The Government is yet to determine how it will enact the freeze despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk making the shock announcement on breakfast TV more than two months ago.

It comes after the Queensland Teachers' Union last week told members there was no agreement on the freeze and that it seemed clear the Government intended to introduce a Bill for the changes this month.

Australian Workers’ Union members including hospital wards staff, cleaners, security officers and kitchen staff pledged to stop work for an hour today across 17 locations.

AWU calls for State Government to drop “unnecessary, unjustified” pay freeze”

Qld public servants will get pay rise despite wage freeze pledge

AWU Queensland Secretary Steve Baker. Picture: Mike Batterham

“We are going to have a wage freeze because we are in very tough economic times,” Ms Palaszczuk said today.

“There are workers out there who have lost their jobs.

“But that does not for one minute mean I do not respect the work that every single one of our servants do in all manners of fields.”

Asked what she thought about AWU members striking, the Premier said: “That’s their right to do so but I am a bit disappointed because I think everybody knows the tough situation that workers are facing and I say to people out there that a lot of people have lost their jobs.”

She said the Government was still working through the freeze.

UWU secretary Gary Bullock said there were a range of unions that understood the financial situation of the state.

“Members of United Workers’ Union have been consulted about what are the components of what a wage freeze might look like, that they think they will be able to live with and there’s a range of unions out doing more consultation as we speak,” he said.

Asked whether the union was happy for the Government to legislate, Mr Bullock said: “I think the comment, are we happy? No. Is the Premier happy about having to do it, no.”

“But what our members do understand is that they are in a situation where they are still employed when many other Queenslanders are not employed,” he said.

“And ultimately United Workers’ Union along with all other unions that I’m aware of are out talking to their members about what we’re faced with and seeking endorsement for what that pay freeze might look like moving forward.”

UWU members include school cleaners, teacher aides, paramedics and other frontline health workers who Mr Bullock said were working to make sure the state was COVID-19 safe.

AWU Queensland secretary Steve Baker told The Courier-Mail frontline workers deserved better than being “robbed of a long-promised wage increase”.

“Industrial action is never something we take lightly and we’d never do anything to compromise the COVID-19 response, but AWU members feel like they’ve been left with no other choice to be heard,” he said.

“These are the wardies, cleaners, security officers, kitchen staff and other invaluable frontline workers who have been getting us through this – punishing them like this doesn’t pass the pub test.

“We know these are extraordinary times and this isn’t business as usual, but ripping up deals with frontline workers in the middle of a pandemic just isn’t on.”

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace refused to comment yesterday on whether the Government would legislate the freeze, which would need to happen during this month’s parliament sitting week if it was to be enacted by July 1.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace. Picture: Steve Pohlner

QTU president Kevin Bates said the union didn’t have a “clear pathway” forward.

“Our members’ expectation is that the legally binding agreement will be implemented and that means there will be a pay rise on the first of July,” he said.

“To date, what I’ve been briefed on is they’re (union) still waiting on a formal position.”