Image: Alex Proimos.
The Queensland government has ditched controversial individual “Work Choices” style contracts for the state’s doctors and has now offered a new pay deal that restores collective bargaining in the medical sector.
The move by the Annastacia Palaszczuk Labor government to guarantee doctors an annual 2.5 per cent wage rise for the next three years puts an end to the frustration in the medical profession that was initiated by the former Campbell Newman Liberal National government in October 2013.
Back then, Mr Newman’s plan was to move all of its public hospital senior medical officers to individual contracts from July 2014 – a scheme that was slammed by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) as a decision would have “dramatic” consequences on medical workforce numbers and could force doctors to move interstate or into private practice.
Ms Palaszczuk said that the Newman government’s fights with the medical profession had considerably damaged morale among the state’s clinicians, but those days were now over.
“We had the spectacle of thousands of doctors meeting at the Pineapple Hotel to talk about their grievances with the Newman Government and the way they wanted to put doctors on Work Choices style individual contracts,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She said the Labor government has restored collective bargaining with its medical workforce in good faith and achieved an outcome that restores fairness to the system while recognising the professional and personal commitment our doctors make to their patients.
Queensland Minister for Health Cameron Dick said that the government had reached agreement with the doctors’ main bargaining bodies – Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation Queensland (AMSOFQ) as well as Together Queensland – about a new enterprise agreement.
According to Mr Dick, the agreement allows for improved professional development for junior doctors as well as a motor vehicle allowance for part-time doctors.
“Doctors will shortly have the opportunity to vote on the offer – an offer, which combined with recent changes to legislation, delivers on our government’s commitment to protect our doctors and partner with them to restore confidence in the health system,” Mr Dick said.
“We want to send a clear signal to our workforce that we value them and their work. We will have differences from time to time with unions, but the important thing is that we keep consulting and keep talking to each other.”
