Qld nurse strike looms next week as Tim Nicholls given deadline

The Health Minister has been given a deadline to bend to nurses’ demands before they activate the next stage of industrial action.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls in Parliament last week. Picture: Liam Kidston

Nurses and midwives have warned the state government they will escalate industrial action next week if their pay and conditions claims are not agreed to.

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union has put Health Minister Tim Nicholls on notice, vowing that if their needs are not met by Wednesday they will begin stage two of protected industrial action – work bans.

It comes after more than 50,000 frontline health workers took protected ­action for the first time in 23 years, after negoti­ations with the state govern­ment stalled over its commitment to nation-leading pay and conditions.

QNMU state secretary Sarah Beaman has now accused the government of gaslighting the union, following a pushback in negotiations last week.

“On the final day of talks, the government pulled the rug out from under us. They told us everything we thought was agreed was suddenly off the table,” Ms Beaman said.

“It is clear meaningful progress cannot be made while the government continues to backtrack on previously discussed matters and shift their position.

“That’s why Queensland Health’s 55,000 frontline nurses and midwives have formally put Health Minister Tim Nicholls on notice.

“The gaslighting stops here.”

The letter included a list of demands for the enterprise bargaining agreement, including a 13 per cent wage increase over three years.

The union has rejected the government’s offer of a pay increase of 3 per cent in 2025 and 2.5 per cent annually for the next two years.

The government has until Wednesday to agree or the union will begin work bans starting next week.

This could include nurses and midwives refusing to perform some of their normal tasks that do not involve direct clinical care, such as bed making, data entry, administration activities, restocking and cleaning of equipment.

The union must give Queensland Health three days’ notice.

Ms Beaman said last week’s state budget did not allocate adequate funding to deliver the promised nation-leading wages and conditions.

“The funding necessary to recruit and retain skilled humans to care for Queensland has not been appropriately allocated – infrastructure alone cannot deliver quality care,” she said.

“This is a government who knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing. The government needs to do better by putting forward a better EB12 offer.”

Other frontline workers, like police, teachers and firefighters, are also beginning negotiations, asking for pay pumps of as high as 8 per cent.

But Treasurer David Janetzki’s first budget has made room for public sector employee expenses to grow by just 3.5 per cent on average over the next four years.

It means the state government — at worst — faces a wages blackhole worth $1.2bn if the unions get their way.

Originally published as Qld nurse strike looms next week as Tim Nicholls given deadline