ANNUAL report - Queensland Nurses Union

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IndustrialStrategic objectives:»»Facilitate empowerment of members to achieve their industrial objectives»»Provide effective industrial leadership»»Provide effective representation»»Maintain and improve wages and working conditions»»Work to achieve positive legislative reformsSignificant reform at the state and federal level, and ourincreasing membership strength across all sectors, hasenabled us to enhance industrial outcomes for members.In particular, the introduction of the federalgovernment’s Fair Work Act in July 2009 has providedmany QNU members with significantly advanced rightsand opportunities in their workplaces.The big pictureA key aspect of the federal government’s industrial reformagenda was to streamline and simplify hundreds ofcomplex awards through the creation of modern, nationalawards along either industry or occupational lines.These new awards began being phased in on 1 January2010. The QNU, as part of a national nursing unioncampaign, was successful in lobbying for nurses to becovered under an occupational award which recognisesnurses as the single biggest occupational group in healthand welfare services. Most nurses not covered by anagreement, will now be covered by the Nurses’ Award2010 (the new modern award).Coverage under the occupational award is a significantwin for QNU members who have industrially andprofessionally maintained their nursing identity in theface of intense opposition from a number of employerand union parties who sought to have nurses included ina wider industry award along with other workers in thehealth setting.Thanks to the thousands of nurses and midwives whoparticipated in campaign activities, such as signing ourpetition calling on the Australian Industrial RelationsCommission to reject the other unions’ and employerpush to scrap nursing awards.In May, after strenuous campaigning by the QNU,NSWNA and ANF, the federal government announcedchanges to the Fair Work Act that have strengthened thesystem of take home pay orders.The changes to the regulations were announced soonafter the QNU, NSWNA and ANF launched a classaction for take home pay orders to Fair Work Australiato cover more than 400 aged care employers inQueensland and New South Wales.Under the amended regulations, take home pay orderscan now be sought for classes or groups of employeesbefore their wages are reduced, and take into accountvariations to modern awards.8 | Annual Report 2009-2010 | Queensland Nurses’ Union of Employees
INDUSTRIALAmid the modernisation of all awards at the federallevel, we have also taken an active role in ensuring acontinuing place for state registered unions in the newfederal workplace system.The QNU and Queensland Health are close to finalisinga new single state award for Queensland Health nursesand midwives arising out of the move from the federalto the state jurisdiction under the EB6 enterprisebargaining agreement.Public SectorThe Queensland Health payroll debacleThe implementation of Queensland Health’s new payrollsystem has become a debacle of monumental proportions.It has become abundantly clear that there is,unfortunately, a way to go before there will be anappropriate conclusion to this disaster.Unfortunately, as it has been such a unique andextraordinary event, the remedies that usually applywith industrial disputes or wage and salary negotiationssimply don’t apply here.This matter has been the subject of numerousQueensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC)hearings. Had Queensland Health or the governmentnot been taking the ‘necessary’ steps to fix the problemand pay its staff, the QIRC could have directed orordered them to do so.The Auditor General’s report, which was releasedin June, highlights fundamental failings of risk andproject management that were underpinned by a lack ofaccountability for and governance process surroundingdelivery of the project. On the eve of the release ofthis report two key people with responsibility forimplementing the payroll system were served notices ofcontract termination.This is a systems issue which is the result of a sequenceof human errors—of poor consultation, planning anda lack of protocols. It is fundamentally a failure of riskmanagement and indicative of a cultural arrogancewithin Queensland Health.Members should be assured that we remain firmlyfocused on using every avenue available to us to ensureQueensland Health nurses and midwives receive the wagesand entitlements they are legally owed on their pay day.In June we coordinated a series of meetings betweenthe Deputy Premier and Nurse Unit Managers. Itremains very clear that it is only because of the hardwork and commitment of these NUMs and other linemanagers that the payroll system is working at all.Following continual submissions from the QNU onthe unacceptable impact this debacle is having on linemanagers including NUMs, Queensland Health hasThe Pay Protest Day rally outside the RBWHagreed to provide additional funding to relieve thepressure on these staff.The QNU has developed a range of materials to supportmembers.During this ongoing debacle, the QNU – which isrelatively small compared to Queensland Health andthe resources of the government – has continued thenormal, day-to-day business of our Union. This includesthe individual representation of members by our legaland servicing teams in courts and tribunals and beforethe QNC, enterprise bargaining negotiations for betterwages and conditions for members across all sectors,and other work which seeks to promote and defend theindustrial, professional, social, political and democraticvalues and interests of members.EB7The state’s public sector nurses and midwives are now thehighest paid in the country in most classifications afterthe Queensland Health nurses’ and midwives’ enterprisebargaining agreement (EB7) was approved in July 2009.The agreement includes significant wage rises forQueensland Health nurses and midwives, whooverwhelmingly (94 percent) endorsed the newagreement. Wage rises under the EB7 agreement are:»»4.5% or $34 per week (whichever is greater) from1 April 2009 (members received back-pay at the newpay rates from this date);»»4% or $34 per week (whichever is greater) from1 April 2010;»»4% or $34 per week (whichever is greater) from1 April 2011.Queensland Nurses’ Union of Employees | Annual Report 2009-2010 | 9
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ANNUAL report - Queensland Nurses Union

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