Queensland’s nurses and midwives have ramped up their industrial action from today, with thousands across the state taking a stand for better pay and workplace conditions. The move comes after months of tense negotiations with the state government, and union leaders say they’ve been left with no other option.
Sarah Beaman, secretary of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union, described the decision as a “historic step in our push for a deal that recruits, respects and retains this state’s frontline nursing and midwifery workforce,” per The Guardian.
“Nurses and midwives are holding our health system together through sheer heart, skill and determination. We’re at breaking point – and we’re done being disrespected. We are over the state government’s stalling tactics. Nurses and midwives are today escalating action to keep Queenslanders safe.”
What’s actually happening with Queensland nurses and midwives?
From 7am, all union members working in state government facilities can take part in a range of protected industrial actions, including:
- Taking their full breaks (meal and rest breaks)
- Refusing overtime unless there’s at least four hours’ notice
- Not attending management meetings (unless clinical or for patient flow)
- Not entering Medicare details at patient admissions
- Not emptying bins or doing other non-clinical office tasks
- Not restocking supplies or filing paperwork
For mental health areas, nurses will stop completing certain outcome measurement tools used for national reporting, but will keep up all clinical documentation to ensure patient safety.
The union has stressed that none of these actions will put patients at risk, and clinical care will continue as normal. “This protected industrial action is about making sure there are enough nurses and midwives to care for Queenslanders – now and into the future. Fair pay. Safe conditions. Respect. That’s all we’re asking,” Beaman said.
Why are Queensland nurses and midwives taking action now?
The escalation follows what the union calls repeated delays and backtracking by Queensland Health during negotiations. In a statement, the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union said, “Members showed up in force for Stage 1 PIA – pink, powerful, and united. It worked – it pushed the government back to the bargaining table for two weeks of intensive negotiations. But on the final day, Queensland Health pulled the rug out from under us, suddenly walking back progress we believed had been made.”
Union members are frustrated by what they see as stalling tactics. “We have not taken this decision lightly, but the government has left us no choice,” Beaman said, per The Guardian.
What’s the end goal for Queensland nurses and midwives?
At the heart of the dispute is the EB12 campaign – the next enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses and midwives in Queensland Health (it will replace EB11). The union says they’re fighting to maintain nation-leading wages and conditions, as promised by the state government before the last election.
The government has now applied to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation, but the union says industrial action will continue during this process.
“While we welcome the government’s application… we cannot and will not slow down. PIA can and must continue during conciliation,” the union said in their statement.
With about 55,000 nurses and midwives employed by Queensland Health, today’s action is set to have a big impact across the state’s hospitals and health services. The union says the fight is about ensuring there are enough nurses and midwives to keep Queenslanders safe, now and into the future.
For now, the message from the frontline is clear: “We are united, we are powerful, and we are ready. Let’s do this – together.”
Lead image: Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union
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