‘We will not be gaslit': Nurses demand fair pay
The Queensland Nurses and Midwives' Union (QNMU) has confirmed Stage 2 of its protected industrial action will commence from 7am on Tuesday, July 8, intensifying its campaign for better pay and working conditions.
While union officials have stressed patient safety will remain a priority, the latest action is expected to have a broader operational impact across Queensland Health facilities, with thousands of workers refusing to perform various non-clinical tasks, including making beds, delivering meals and emptying bins.
It follows the union's rejection of the government's latest wage offer of an 11 per cent pay rise over three years, in favour of a 13 per cent increase over the same period.
The government's proposal includes staged increases of 3 per cent in April 2025, 2.5 per cent in both April 2026 and April 2027, with a final 3 per cent in December 2027.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls has described it as a 'nation-leading' package that includes an 'Australian-first double-time-for-overtime care package'. However, QNMU Secretary Sarah Beaman said the deal would strip Queensland's nurses and midwives of their status as the highest paid in the country, a position they've held for 15 years.
'We will not be gaslit, or taken for fools,' Ms Beaman said.
Stage 2 of the protected action, legally permitted under the Fair Work Act 2009, will see union members refuse overtime without at least four hours' notice, take their full meal and rest breaks, and step back from administrative duties including filing, data entry, stock replenishment, and internal meetings unrelated to patient care.
Other disruptions include a refusal to clean beds, move furniture, handle non-clinical waste, or participate in Medicare admissions documentation.
In mental health services, formal national reporting tools will be paused, although clinical observations will continue to be recorded.
The first stage of industrial action began on June 5 with low-level visibility activities such as staff wearing pink or promotional shirts and email signature updates.
While this initially led to two weeks of renewed bargaining, the union says negotiations broke down when the government 'pulled the rug out' on perceived progress.
Although wages are the headline issue, the industrial action highlights a string of longstanding grievances within Queensland's healthcare system.
Nurses cite burnout, poor nurse-to-patient ratios, staff shortages, especially in regional areas, and broken promises from Covid-era commitments.
Surveys have found that over 58 per cent of Australian nurses report burnout, and 71 per cent say they are asked to do more than they can manage. Almost half of QNMU members surveyed said they were considering leaving the profession.
The union is also calling for improved minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, claiming current workloads are unsafe and compromise patient outcomes.
A 2024 report from the Nurses Professional Association of Queensland (NPAQ) also raised concerns about centralised bureaucracy, with one administrator for every two nurses in Queensland, compared to a 1:5 to 1:7 ratio in Germany and Scandinavia, as well as a culture of fear, bullying and punished whistleblowing.
The suicides of two midwives, one a new graduate and the other senior, at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in 2015 and 2023 were cited as tragic examples of this toxic environment.
Midwife Jackie Pulleine alleged she faced retribution after raising concerns about patient safety at Redcliffe Hospital.
QNMU says increasing waitlists, chronic overcrowding in emergency departments, and the death of Baby Benson amid neonatal bed shortages are all symptoms of a broken system.
The state government has now referred the dispute to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation.
Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the government remains committed to delivering a 'nation-leading wages deal' as part of a record $33 billion investment in the state's health system.
That includes hiring 4,500 additional health workers over the next year, he said.
However, the QNMU argues this investment must also be reflected in frontline wages.
'The funding necessary to recruit and retain skilled humans to care for Queensland has not been appropriately allocated,' Ms Beaman said.
'Multibillion-dollar health facilities without skilled staff are like a car without an engine.'
With protected action escalating Tuesday and no resolution in sight, the QNMU warns the dispute 'could escalate if demands are not met'.
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