David Crisafulli shrugs off threats from union bosses over mass rolling strikes

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has downplayed unions’ threat of rolling strike action if they don’t secure big pay rises this year.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli in Brisbane.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has downplayed unions’ threat of rolling strike action if they don’t secure big pay rises this year, saying his government was entering negotiations in “good faith” to ensure the state’s public service was world class and well paid.

The newly elected government is facing a wave of enterprise bargaining agreements across the state’s 266,000 public service and public sector employees, beginning with nurses, police and teachers.

Nurses will begin negotiations with Queensland Health this week, with their current workplace agreement expiring in March.

Last year, Queensland Treasury in the June budget accounted for a minimum 2.5 per cent wage increase for nurses, but it is understood Queensland’s Nurses and Midwives Union may seek a doubling of that offer in order to keep pace with inflation.

On Sunday, the Queensland Council of Unions – the state labour movement’s peak body – warned that protected strike action was possible if the Liberal National Party government, elected in October, did not meet its demands.

But in an interview on Sky News, Mr Crisafulli said he is “not one for threats”.

“I’m not one to try to escalate things,’’ he said.

“I’m one to sit down and deal with people and get a good outcome.

“That’s the way I’ve always been, and I genuinely do look forward to dealing with the unions with individual workers.

“I want the Queenslanders to know my vision is for the best public service in the country, and we need that because right now in Queensland, service delivery because of a lack of planning, because of a lack of funding, it’s just fallen across the board, youth, crime, health, housing, cost of living, all of those things. If we’re going to turn them around, we need a world-class public service.”

Mr Crisafulli said he didn’t think there would be a “year of disruptions” in negotiations with unions, saying the only militant union in Queensland was the CFMEU.

He said the CFMEU had run “roughshod” in Queensland and the rest of Australia, and he believed the other unions would work with the government. “What I want is that workers that are well paid, are safe in their job, and for productivity to be front and centre, and provided that’s the spirit of negotiations, I’ve got every faith that we can get the right outcomes.’’

Queensland Police Union state president Shane Prior told The Australian his members expected a good deal from the government.

Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Prior said the QPU had conducted a survey of police ahead of the negotiations and had received a record number of responses.

“A review of members’ views is being finalised; however, it is clear they have significant expectations from the QPS, particularly given the agreements struck with colleagues in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia,’’ he said.

“A key issue is retention.

“Our work environments have never been more dangerous as they are at right now and we only have to look back a matter of days at the shocking attack on two officers in Brisbane’s inner-city suburb of Annerley.”

Last Friday, Mr Crisafulli said the Queensland Police Service’s attrition rate was at a record 6 per cent, and more needed to be done to keep experienced police on the job.

Mr Prior said the workload was a major issue.

“Our members are at breaking point and have the added pressures of an increasing workload, and that has occurred over the last two decades,’’ he said.

“Police are being saddled with the heavy burden of other government departments’ roles and responsibilities.

“The QPU will work in good faith in this process so together we can achieve pay and conditions that keep the QPS at the forefront of modern policing and, most importantly, ensures we can keep our community safe.”