BY MARIA VOUKELATOS

BRISBANE — The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) has been in a month-long battle over wages and conditions in the Queensland Health Service. Nurses are demanding a 12% pay rise over the next two years plus a 6% equity payment.

The state government is offering 3% per year over a two year agreement. The offer also includes a retention package for level one and level two nurses, as well as a one-off qualification allowance for registered nurses and an additional 3% rise for enrolled and assistance nurses.

Green Left Weekly spoke to QNU state secretary Gay Hawkesworth shortly after the union had another four-hour negotiating session with the government on June 26. “[The state government] needs to put more money on the table”, Hawkesworth said.

Explaining that QNU is holding rolling stopwork meetings and are closing down one in four hospital beds, Hawkesworth explained: “There is, absolutely, a fighting spirit amongst the membership. The membership is very determined to take action.”

Also on June 26, the Queensland Council of Unions executive condemned the Queensland government for its general attitude to public sector bargaining.

Hawksworth stated that the nurses had an enormous amount of community support. “We have recieved emails, letters, phone calls. People have been sending letters of support to the mainstream newspapers, radio, and talking to politicians. Patients and relatives of patients have given first-hand support at health facilities across the state. We welcome members of the community at rallies and meetings in support of the nurses dispute.”

Health workers' rolling stoppages are spreading to regional areas including Toowoomba, Bundaberg, Rockhampton and the Gold Coast.

From Green Left Weekly, July 3, 2002.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page. 

Tools

• Bookmark This Page
• Print This Page