Bargaining consensus reached on nation-leading offer for nurses and midwives

• The Crisafulli Government is delivering a nation-leading wages and conditions offer for Queensland’s nurses and midwives on the health frontline. 
• Queensland Health, the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union and the Australian Workers’ Union have reached a bargaining consensus with the assistance of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC).
• The recommendation of the Deputy President of the QIRC includes better pay and conditions, new allowances, and incentives for rural and remote nurses and midwives. 

The Crisafulli Government has reached a bargaining consensus with the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union and the Australian Workers’ Union for nation-leading wages and conditions as well as more incentives to attract and retain staff in rural and remote Queensland.  

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU) and Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) will now seek in-principle agreement via a ballot of their members. 

The offer will ensure Queensland’s 57,000 nurses and midwives continue to receive nation-leading wages and conditions, including nation-first double-time-for-overtime rates for shift workers, and enhancements to the career structure to make it stronger and more attractive.

The offer includes a one-off 3 per cent Government Election Commitment payment – meaning wages will increase by 11 per cent over the life of the agreement, and overtime entitlements for shift workers.  

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the offer followed months of robust negotiations and demonstrated the commitment of everyone involved in seeking an in-principle agreement in good faith.