Qld: Strike called off after breakthrough with health unions
By Rosemary Desmond and Vera Devai
BRISBANE, Aug 27 AAP - Queensland's health sector chaos may be coming to an end afterbreakthrough talks today between the state government and unions.
More than 30,000 non-nursing health workers have called off a strike planned for this Thursday.
"That's now been averted because we now have an agreement to put to members," QueenslandCouncil of Unions (QCU) state secretary Grace Grace told AAP.
Queensland state hospitals have suffered work bans and stoppages by nurses and non-nurseswhich have forced the cancellation of elective surgery, closed hospital beds and disruptedmeals, laundry and garbage collection services.
Late today, seven unions reached agreement with the government which has offered a3.8 per cent pay rise for every 13 months over the 39 month agreement, or 3.5 per centa year.
Queensland branch secretary of the Australian Services Union (ASU), Julie Bignell,said a ballot could be put to members within three weeks.
"In good faith we will begin lifting bans in public hospital system and call off strikeaction on Thursday," Ms Bignell said.
Industrial Relations Minister Gordon Nuttall welcomed the decision, saying workerswould receive a pay rise backdated from June 1 this year, with subsequent rises on July1 next year and on August 1 2004.
"The unions and the government have agreed this is a fair and reasonable deal for ourhealth workers," Mr Nuttall said.
Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) state secretary Gay Hawksworth emerged from the AustralianIndustrial Relations Commission (AIRC) late today, saying a date had been set for arbitrationtalks on pay rates and conditions.
She was confident an outcome would be known by the end of the year after talks beginningon October 17.
"It's good news for us," Ms Hawksworth told reporters outside.
"For nurses that means it won't be a prolonged process, she said.
Ms Hawksworth said the union would also ask the AIRC for a 10 per cent interim payrise for the state's 17,500 nurses to tide them over until the outcome of the arbitrationtalks was known.
But it was not all good news, with some Queensland public servants planning to takeindustrial action over the government's decision to cut 2,000 jobs by offering VoluntaryEarly Retirement packages.
Queensland Public Sector Union (QPSU) general secretary Alex Scott said some rollingstoppages on a department by department basis would start as early as next Monday.
AAP rad/ved/sc/hu/de
KEYWORD: HEALTHWORKERS NIGHTLEAD
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