Focus on underpayments continues as discussions continue on how to handle overpayments
Published: 7 August 2011
Rectifying underpayments to nurses, midwives and other Queensland Health staff continues to be the priority for Queensland Health as negotiations continue on how to handle the recovery of overpayments made because of the department’s dysfunctional new payroll system, the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) said today.
Issues regarding the recovery of overpayments prevented the five-point “Heads of Agreement – Improving the Confidence in the QH Payroll System”, between Queensland Health and the unions representing its employees, being finalised last week. The HOA was conditionally approved at the QNU annual conference in July, with some reservations expressed about Queensland Health’s desire to introduce new pay adjustment arrangements, which allow it to automatically recover future overpayments
QNU secretary, Beth Mohle, said the other four points in the HOA are basically agreed. These are:
- the refocusing of efforts on underpayments;
- imposition of a moratorium on the recovery of previously notified overpayments;
- appointment of an independent and external Workplace Ombudsman to handle payroll complaints; and
- increased resources for Nurse Unit Managers and Line Managers, dealing with payroll issues.
“Two meetings in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) last week did not overcome QNU and other union concerns about the proposed automatic recovery of future overpayments.
“Negotiations over this issue will continue this week ahead of another QIRC hearing on August 12. In the meantime the focus continues on rectifying underpayments and no one is obliged to repay an overpayment unless they wish to,” Ms Mohle said.
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