Queensland’s health minister Tim Nicholls has indicated there will be no last-minute negotiations with the state’s nurses and midwives ahead of planned industrial action today.
Last week, unionised nurses and midwives employed by Queensland Health overwhelmingly voted to take stage two protected industrial action over ongoing wage negotiations with the state government.
From 7am Tuesday, workers can take a range of actions, including declining overtime, refusing data entry, and forgoing tasks such as making beds, emptying rubbish bins and cleaning equipment.
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Asked on Monday whether the LNP was considering any last-minute negotiations to prevent such disruptions, Nicholls deferred a direct response, instead insisting the government “remain[s] at the table”.
“I’ve been walking through the hospitals over the last three or four weeks, and I’ve been talking to nurses and midwives who work in them, and I know they are absolutely focused on patients there,” Nicholls said.
“We really understand and that’s why we want to get this result and that’s why we continue to deal with the nurses and midwives, they’re good people, and they do it for the right reasons … so we want to get it right.”
Queensland Health and Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union have met 36 times since negotiations began, but have been unable to reach an agreement.
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