Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign up-date
Free airfares for overseas nurses further evidence of nurse shortage
It’s time to improve wages and conditions at home

The Queensland Government has made a complete mockery of its own denials, in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) last week, that there is a chronic shortage of nurses in Queensland by offering Australian nurses working overseas a free flight home to fill nursing vacancies in Queensland public hospitals and health facilities, the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) said today.

During last week’s AIRC arbitration of the QNU’s application for an interim payrise, Queensland Government representatives tried to deny the State faced a nurse shortage. This was despite new figures, collected by the State Government itself, showing that at October 21 there were at least 810 nursing positions vacant (excluding the Mater) in the Queensland public health system. In February 2002 the vacancy rate, including the Mater, was 756.

QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said it is bizarre that at the same time State Government representatives were denying the nurse shortage in the Industrial Relations Commission the Queensland Health Minister was announcing free flights for nurses to come home and fill vacancies at Queensland Health.

“Coming on top of the latest rise in nursing vacancies, this initiative proves beyond doubt that Queensland is having trouble filling nursing positions. If there are plenty of nurses at home willing to do the job why do we have to offer incentives like free flights home?

“Based on an analysis of the nursing registration figures and historical data, the QNU estimates there is anything up to 10,000 registered and enrolled nurses in Queensland not working as nurses. This is about 20 per cent of the total and many could be enticed to return if working conditions were improved and wages better matched the difficult work nurses are now expected to perform.

“Recent independent research by a number of organisations also indicates many nurses currently in the workforce are thinking of leaving unless wages and conditions are improved. So it is time the State Government pulled its head out of the sand and faced up to the serious nursing shortage facing Queensland by offering nurses a better deal,” Ms Hawksworth said.

Late on Friday afternoon (25 October) the Full Bench of the AIRC awarded Queensland’s 20,000 public sector nurses an interim wage rise of 3.8 per cent, effective from 25 October 2002, and a formal process for relieving excessive workloads, while it arbitrates in December on the QNU’s full application for improved wages and conditions for public sector nurses.

The QNU’s wages and conditions claim went to arbitration when the AIRC terminated, in July, the bargaining between the QNU and Queensland Health for a new enterprise bargaining agreement. This decision followed a lengthy and bitter industrial dispute, which saw nurses implement extensive work bans, including bed closures, in hospitals and community health facilities around the State.

The QNU launched its Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign in March this year, with the objective of rebuilding Queensland’s nursing workforce through a range of initiatives including improving public sector nurse wages and ensuring workloads are safe for both patients and staff.

Permanent nurse positions vacant in Queensland Health
Full-time-equivalent positions by District Health Service as at 21 October 2002

(Note these figures are from a snapshot taken by Queensland Health last week and, when you take into account bed closures and unsafe nursing workloads, the QNU believes they seriously underestimate the real situation.)

Banana 3.00, Princess Alexandra Hosp 65.39, Bayside 11.22, Redcliffe-Caboolture 38.20, Bowen 12.00, Rockhampton 32.21, Bundaberg 4.50, Roma 18.50, Cairns 44.00, RBH & Royal Women’s 94.17, Cape York 7.00, Royal Children’s Hosp 60.48, Central Highlands 5.50,         South Burnett 3.00, Central West 24.50, Southern Downs 3.40, Charleville 7.30,          Sunshine Coast 13.00, Charters Towers 16.80, Tablelands 8.90, Fraser Coast 8.20, Prince Charles Hosp 52.70, Gladstone 5.30, QE II 3.00, Gold Coast 33.80, Toowoomba 28.99, Gympie 7.40, Torres St & Northern Pen. 7.00, Innisfail 3.00, Townsville 36.80, Logan Beaudesert 9.80, West Moreton 39.49, Mackay 7.00, Moranbah 8.75, Mount Isa 73.40, North Burnett 5.20, Northern Downs 7.50.

Queensland Total 810.40

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25 October 2002

Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign up-date
Arbitration hearings continue today - Final submissions on nurses’ interim payrise claim
Government figures confirm nurse shortage worsening

Date: Friday, 25 October 2002                  
Time: 11.00am
Venue - Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Central Plaza Two, 66 Eagle St Brisbane

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) will hear final submissions in the Queensland Nurses Union’s (QNU) application for an interim award, including a 10 per cent pay rise, at 11.00am today, Friday 25 October.

Today’s finalisation of the hearings on the application for an interim award follows dramatic evidence in the AIRC yesterday, with Queensland Health providing figures that show the State’s nurse shortage has worsened in recent months. On Queensland Health’s own figures, collected earlier this week, the number of nursing positions vacant in Queensland public hospitals has blown out from around 756 (including the Mater Hospital) in February to 810 (not including the Mater) at October 21 this year.

The figures also show that the State’s major children’s hospital - the Royal Children’s Hospital – alone has a massive 60 permanent nursing positions vacant.

In August the QNU indicated it would apply for an interim pay rise of 10 per cent from 1 June 2002. This application is designed to get the State’s nurses an initial pay rise while they wait for the QNU’s entire wages and conditions claim to be arbitrated. The Queensland Government is opposing the application for an interim award.

The QNU is also seeking, in the interim award, qualifications allowances of between 4 and 7.5 per cent. As for the management of nurse workloads, the QNU now has an agreement with Queensland Health on a method of handling this and is seeking to have this included in the interim award.

On Wednesday 24 July the AIRC terminated the bargaining between the QNU and Queensland Health for a new enterprise bargaining agreement, after a lengthy and bitter industrial dispute, which saw nurses implement extensive work bans, including bed closures, in hospitals and community health facilities around the State.

The QNU launched its Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign in March this year, with the objective of rebuilding Queensland’s nursing workforce through a range of initiatives including improving public sector nurse wages and ensuring workloads are safe for both patients and staff.

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24 October 2002

Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign up-date
Arbitration hearings continue today

Date: Thursday, 24 October 2002             
Time: 10.15am
Venue - Australian Industrial Relations Commission
Central Plaza Two, 66 Eagle St Brisbane

State Government witnesses scheduled to start giving evidence today

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) will continue hearing the Queensland Nurses Union’s (QNU) application for an award, which provides improved wages and working conditions for nearly 20,000 Queensland public sector nurses, at 10.15am today, Thursday 24 October. The case started in Brisbane last week.

The AIRC has set aside today and tomorrow (24 and 25 October 2002) to continue arbitration of the QNU’s claim, including the QNU’s application for an interim award. Another four hearing days have been allocated in December. The full bench hearing the case is Justice Munro, Senior Deputy President Marsh and Commissioner Deegan.

On Wednesday 24 July the AIRC terminated the bargaining between the QNU and Queensland Health for a new enterprise bargaining agreement, after a lengthy and bitter industrial dispute, which saw nurses implement extensive work bans, including bed closures, in hospitals and community health facilities around the State.

In August the QNU indicated it would apply for an interim pay rise of 10 per cent from 1 June 2002. This application is designed to get the State’s nurses an initial pay rise while they wait for the QNU’s entire wages and conditions claim to be arbitrated. The Queensland Government is opposing the application for an interim award.

The QNU is also seeking, in the interim award, qualifications allowances of between 4 and 7.5 per cent. As for the management of nurse workloads, the QNU now has an agreement with Queensland Health on a method of handling this and is seeking to have this included in the interim award.

The QNU launched its Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign in March this year, with the objective of rebuilding Queensland’s nursing workforce through a range of initiatives including improving public sector nurse wages and ensuring workloads are safe for both patients and staff.

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18 October 2002

Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign up-date
Arbitration hearings continue today

Date: Friday, 18 October 2002                  
Time: 10.15am
Venue: Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Central Plaza Two, 66 Eagle St Brisbane

QNU witnesses scheduled to give evidence today

• Mr Nick Blake – Australian Nursing Federation federal industrial officer
• Kym Barry – Queensland Nurses Union professional officer
• Ms Colleen Fischer – registered nurse at Cairns Base Hospital emergency department

(Please note: The QNU has accepted the suggestion of the full bench and decided to defer the evidence of Dr Peter Pereira, Director of Emergency Medicine at Cairns Base Hospital, until later in the hearings, after the application for an interim award is dealt with.)

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) will continue hearing the Queensland Nurses Union’s (QNU) application for an award, which provides improved wages and working conditions for nearly 20,000 Queensland public sector nurses, at 10.15am today, Friday 18 October. The case started in Brisbane yesterday.

The AIRC has set aside 17, 18, 24 and 25 October 2002 for arbitration of the QNU’s claim, including the QNU’s application for an interim award. Another four hearing days have been allocated in December. The full bench hearing the case is Justice Munro, Senior Deputy President Marsh and Commissioner Deegan.

On Wednesday 24 July the AIRC terminated the bargaining between the QNU and Queensland Health for a new enterprise bargaining agreement, after a lengthy and bitter industrial dispute, which saw nurses implement extensive work bans, including bed closures, in hospitals and community health facilities around the State.

In August the QNU indicated it would apply for an interim pay rise of 10 per cent from 1 June 2002. This application, which the AIRC has ruled it can hear, is designed to get the State’s nurses an initial pay rise while they wait for the QNU’s entire wages and conditions claim to be arbitrated. The Queensland Government is opposing the application for an interim award.

The QNU is also seeking, in the interim award, qualifications allowances of between 4 and 7.5 per cent. As for the management of nurse workloads, the QNU now has an agreement with Queensland Health on a method of handling this and will seek to have this included in the interim award.

The QNU launched its Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign in March this year, with the objective of rebuilding Queensland’s nursing workforce through a range of initiatives including improving public sector nurse wages and ensuring workloads are safe for both patients and staff.

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16 October 2002

Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign up-date
Arbitration hearings start tomorrow

Date: Thursday, 17 October 2002             
Time: 10.15am
Venue: Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Central Plaza Two, 66 Eagle St Brisbane
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, will be available for media interviews outside the AIRC from about 10.00am

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) is scheduled to start hearing the Queensland Nurses Union’s (QNU) application for an award, which provides improved wages and working conditions for nearly 20,000 Queensland public sector nurses, at 10.15am tomorrow, Thursday 17 October.

The AIRC has set aside 17, 18, 24 and 25 October 2002 for arbitration of the QNU’s claim, including the QNU’s application for an interim award. Another four hearing days have been allocated in December. The full bench hearing the case is Justice Munro, Senior Deputy President Marsh and Commissioner Deegan.

On Wednesday 24 July the AIRC terminated the bargaining between the QNU and Queensland Health for a new enterprise bargaining agreement, after a lengthy and bitter industrial dispute, which saw nurses implement extensive work bans, including bed closures, in hospitals and community health facilities around the State.

In August the QNU indicated it would apply for an interim pay rise of 10 per cent from 1 June 2002. This application, which the AIRC has ruled it can hear, is designed to get the State’s nurses an initial pay rise while they wait for the QNU’s entire wages and conditions claim to be arbitrated. The Queensland Government opposed the application for an interim award.

The QNU is also seeking, in the interim award, qualifications allowances of between 4 and 7.5 per cent. As for the management of nurse workloads, the QNU now has an agreement with Queensland Health on a method of handling this and will seek to have this included in the interim award.

The QNU launched its Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign in March this year, with the objective of rebuilding Queensland’s nursing workforce through a range of initiatives including improving public sector nurse wages and ensuring workloads are safe for both patients and staff.

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14 October 2002

Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign up-date
Nurses win right to seek interim pay rise

Arbitration case hearings scheduled to start this week

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) has ruled that it has the power to grant the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) an interim award in relation to the QNU’s claim for improved wages and conditions for public sector nurses in Queensland.

The AIRC has set aside 17, 18, 24 and 25 October 2002 for arbitration of the QNU’s claim, including the QNU’s application for an interim award. Another four hearing days have been allocated in December.

In August the QNU made application for an interim pay rise of 10 per cent from 1 June 2002. This application is designed to get the State’s nurses an initial pay rise, while they wait for the QNU’s entire wages and conditions claim to be arbitrated.

The QNU is also seeking, as part of the interim award, qualifications allowances of between 4 and 7.5 per cent. As for the management of nurse workloads, the QNU now has an agreement with Queensland Health on a method of handling this and will seek to have this included in the interim award.

The Queensland Government opposed the application for an interim award.

The full bench hearing the case is Justice Munro, Senior Deputy President Marsh and Commissioner Deegan.

On Wednesday 24 July the AIRC terminated the bargaining between the QNU and Queensland Health for a new enterprise bargaining agreement, after a lengthy and bitter industrial dispute, which saw nurses implement extensive work bans, including bed closures, in hospitals and community health facilities around the State.

With the matter going to arbitration all industrial action by nurses has been lifted. However, the nurse shortage and lack of staff are still forcing the closure of many beds in hospitals and the reduction of services around the State.

The QNU launched its Nurses: Worth Looking After campaign in March this year, with the objective of rebuilding Queensland’s nursing workforce through:

• improving public sector nurse wages through such things as a six per cent annual pay rise for all categories of nurses and qualifications allowances;
• ensuring workloads are safe for both patients and staff;
• ensuring nurse education programs are appropriate and affordable;
• an improved and safer workplace environment; and
• the implementation of workforce planning strategies that address the needs of a predominately female and shift-working workforce.

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