Qld politics: Nurse banned from protected strike action
The Queensland government has threatened to strip tens of thousands of frontline nurses and midwives of their backpay if they dare exercise their legal right to protected strike action.
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In an extraordinary move, the Queensland government has threatened to strip tens of thousands of frontline nurses and midwives of their backpay if they dare exercise their legal right to protected strike action.
The Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union slammed the “unprecedented” ultimatum that resulted from the latest round of wage negotiations that have continued two months after their contract expired.
Under the latest wages proposal, nurses and midwives would receive annual increases of 3 per cent in the first year, followed by 2.5 per cent in both the second and third years, plus a 3 per cent uplift in December 2027.
But union leaders warn the deal falls short of achieving nation-leading wages and includes several cuts to existing conditions that could leave some members financially worse off.
QNMU secretary Sarah Beaman revealed it took nearly a month for the government to deliver the updated offer after a meeting with Industrial Relations Minister Jarrod Bleijie early last month.
She said the union was particularly alarmed by the condition tying backpay to union activity.
“This offer also includes the unprecedented state government demand that nurses and midwives do not seek to plan or take protected industrial action (PIA) in response to the offer in May,” she said.
“The Crisafulli government has stated if PIA occurs on or before May 30, tens of thousands of frontline Queensland nurses and midwives will not receive backpay dated from 1 April 2025.”
“We also hold significant concerns that the offer put forward by QH includes many reductions in existing conditions and would currently see hundreds of members’ pay go backwards over the life of the agreement.”
QNMU meetings will now be held at hospitals across the state to consult with members and discuss the way forward.
Meanwhile, the Queensland Council of Unions has joined the growing backlash against the state’s public sector wages policy and will publicly reject the offer at Monday’s Labour Day rally in Brisbane.
QCU general secretary Jacqueline King criticised the government’s offer, which averages just 2.67 per cent a year, as clearly insufficient amid a national climate of rising wages.
She said it fell far behind pay rises offered in other states, such as Victoria, where nurses secured a 28.4 per cent compounded wage increase over four years, and Western Australia, where public servants received 12.5 per cent over three years.
“After three months of negotiations, the government has failed to put a fair and decent offer on the table for nurses and midwives – the first agreement to expire in the sector – which isn’t a great sign of things to come for the rest of the workforce.
Ms King said the government needed to “get real and come back with a genuine offer”.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said the offer was delivering on the government’s commitment to maintaining nation-leading wages and conditions for nurses and midwives.
“Queensland Health is committed to working with the QNMU and AWU in good faith to reach in-principle agreement.”
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Originally published as Qld politics: Nurse banned from protected strike action
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