Queensland doctors, police officers and customer service workers have struck a deal for higher pay with the state government, while nurses, teachers and firefighters prepare to escalate their efforts to secure better wages.
On Sunday, the Crisafulli government announced it had reached in-principle agreement with Queensland Health’s 15,000-strong medical officer workforce, comprised of junior and senior doctors, registrars and specialists working across emergency departments, specialist wards and ambulance services.
The deal, which health minister Tim Nicholls said was subject to member approval, secures an 8 per cent increase over three years, along with guaranteed cost of living provisions should the CPI rate rise above the state government wages policy.
Health minister Tim Nicholls announced a deal for doctors and other public sector workers on Sunday. Credit: Matt Dennien
It also offers a new career medical officer classification, an increased attraction and retention allowance for rural generalists and an increase in overnight allowances.
Secretary of public sector union Together, Alex Scott, said inflation figures released on Wednesday painted the offer in a favourable light.
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“[Those figures] show that the current wages offer … is higher than inflation,” he said.
“In terms of our ability to consider whether or not our members are better off under collective agreements or not, having a wage offer that is above inflation is fundamentally important to us.”
Nicholls said an agreement had also been reached with staff of the newly formed Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business (CDSB), and Queensland Police Service’s Protective Services officers.
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