‘Gaslit’ nurses and midwives prepare to walk off job

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Nurses and midwives working for Queensland Health will go on strike in seven days unless the state meets their expectation of “nation-leading wages”, their union said on Monday.

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union and state government have met 36 times in six months, with the union beginning small-scale industrial action in early June.

QNMU secretary Sarah Beaman delivered Monday’s ultimatum as Queensland Health said it was seeking conciliation in the state industrial commission and remained at the bargaining table.

Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union secretary Sarah Beaman gave Queensland Health an ultimatum on Monday.

Beaman said the state government had revealed in its last meeting with the union, on Thursday, that it had not costed many of the union’s demands.

“[Queensland Health] advised us everything we thought was agreed within the last two weeks of negotiation was suddenly at significant risk,” Beaman said.

“The government pulled the rug out from under us.”

Health Minister Tim Nicholls maintained the state’s previous offer had fulfilled the government’s election promise for “nation-leading wages”.

He called for the union to resolve the disagreement with the government before resorting to strike action next week.

“The Queensland Government’s offer is the state wage offer plus an uplift at the end of the agreement to maintain nation-leading wages, and an Australian-first double-time-for-overtime care package,” Nicholls said.

He said the state’s most recent offer was bolstered by a 10.2 per cent increase in Queensland’s health budget – delivered last Tuesday – which he said would add 2600 more beds and 4500 health workers to public hospitals in the next year.

The government said its offer would fulfil the promise of “nation-leading wages” for nursing and midwifery staff.

A previous offer from the government included an 11 per cent wage increase over three years, with provisions for more if inflation was higher than forecast. Half the increase would have come in 2027.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver a nation-leading pay deal for nurses and midwives in recognition of their important contribution to our state’s health system,” Nicholls said.

Beaman accused the state of “gaslighting” its workforce, saying previous offers would have left more than half its members would worse off than their counterparts in Victoria, and a 13 per cent increase would be the minimum required to remain ahead of other states.

She added proposed overtime conditions were “simply seeking pay, entitlement and condition equity with male-dominated frontline workforces”.

The union also called for more permanent graduate roles and protections to give nurses and midwives a say in hospital-wide decisions that could impact patient safety.

The union pointed to decisions such as the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital’s attempt to house women who had miscarried in the maternity ward, which Nicholls blocked in February.

“As fierce advocates for our patients and aged care residents, we will not let this happen,” Beaman said.

If the state and union do not reach an agreement, the union expected to begin rolling work bans across Queensland’s state-owned health services from next Monday.

The union promised patient safety would not be affected.

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