Qld politics: QIRC engaged as nurses’ pay dispute escalates

A third party has been called in to negotiate a pay deal with these public sector employees as the threat of strike action escalates. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Premier David Crisafulli. Picture: Liam Kidston

• History of public servant wage wars

Queensland’s industrial relations court has been called in to help Queensland Health and the state’s largest union strike a pay deal just days before nurses and midwives were scheduled to escalate mass strike action.

In a sign Queensland Health does not believe it can do the deal on its own, the QIRC has been asked to mediate the wage deal.

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union has threatened to begin stage two of protected strike action from next Monday, which would see thousands of health workers across the state refusing to perform tasks that see not impact patient safety, including administration, bed moving, cleaning and delivering patient meals.

QNMU secretary Sarah Beaman welcomed the government’s decision to involve the QIRC.

“However following 36 EB12 negotiation meetings and around 150 hours of bargaining with the LNP state government, we will not slow down, or halt protected industrial action,” she said.

“Our members are understandably furious at the government’s stalling and backtracking.”

The union has demanded a 13 per cent increase over three years after rejecting the government’s offer of 3 per cent in 2025 and 2.5 per cent rises in 2026-27.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls, in a statement on Monday, confirmed his department would engage the QIRC.

“We remain at the table to finalise an agreement,” he said.

Mr Nicholls has maintained that the government’s current offer represented the “nation-leading” wages promise by Premier David Crisafulli during the state election campaign.

Ms Beaman said nurses had officially put Mr Nicholls on notice.

“Premier David Crisafulli, (Industrial Relations Minister) Jarrod Bleijie and Health Minister Tim Nicholls cannot continue to publicly claim, including on Hansard, that their EB12 offers are nation leading when for 67 per cent, or more than 36,000 nurses and midwives, they are not,” she said.

“We will not be gas lit, lied to or taken for fools.”

Strike escalations will be communicated to Queensland Health three business days in advance.

If the QIRC cannot help the union and Queensland Health reaching agreement within a reasonable period, the matter may be referred to arbitration.

Originally published as Qld politics: QIRC engaged as nurses’ pay dispute escalates