Friendly reminder result in a backpay windfall

SOMETIMES IT just takes a quick word or a little reminder to ensure members are getting their proper entitlements.

A South-east Queensland private sector member recently contacted QNMU questioning a clause in her enterprise agreement which stated nurses should receive the same back pay entitlements as Queensland Health nursing staff. She believed she wasn’t being paid those entitlements.

The facility’s CEO and pay officer told the QNMU they were unaware of the clause, but after the QNMU explained the EA’s terms, they promised to rectify the oversight.

All nursing staff at the facility will now be paid the correct entitlements and back paid from the 1 April 2022, which should mean quite a windfall for members.

Apparently our member was so excited with the news she screamed with excitement.

Well done to our member for the great pick-up and having the good sense to call the QNMU for clarification and support.

QNMU escalation spurs employer into action

It took a QNMU threat of a formal dispute hearing to jolt a private hospital payroll department into action after more than 18 months of failing to rectify a member’s unpaid annual leave loading.

A Brisbane-based member who discovered errors in her annual leave loading, thought her matter would be resolved quickly after her HR department reviewed the hospital’s enterprise agreement and conceded she’d not been properly paid.

What followed was months of silence as HR did nothing to rectify the error and the payroll department failed repeatedly to respond to her inquiries.

Turning to the QNMU for support, officials were able to confirm the error with HR, and secured a three-month leave loading audit as proof.

Payroll still failed to act, so officials worked the member to lodge a grievance and requested an audit for the past six years (the maximum legal period permitted).

When HR failed to provide the audit data by the due date, we moved to lodge a formal dispute in the Fair Work Commission, and suddenly, the unpaid leave ($7772) loading appeared in our member’s account.

It is pleasing that our member finally received a positive outcome, but we are appalled this employer, with their unwarranted delays, took 18 months to make good on their error.

Fairy Floss Friday At Gold Cost University And Robina Hospitals

The first Friday in February saw Gold Coast University Hospital hosting their sixth annual Loud Shirt Fairy Floss Friday event with Robina Hospital hosting their second. It was their biggest yet! Loud Shirt Fairy Floss Friday was created to encourage healthcare workers to shed light on mental illness in the healthcare community, support each other and tell depression to #getflossed! Such a bold, colourful and spirited way to face an all-too-often hidden and isolating illness.

Big thanks to Toni-Anne Taylor for sending in such fun pics!

For more info visit www.fairyflossfriday.com

Loo Elf

In the interests of hygiene we don’t usually recommend reading in the loo but clearly InScope is such a fantastic magazine Elfy just couldn’t put it down – well, that’s how we’re choosing to interpret this pic from our Rocky office anyway!

Branch Raffle

A shout out to Caboolture Hospital Branch Alternate Delegate Meleitta Lowrey (pictured right) who held a workplace raffle late last year to raise the Branch’s profile and encourage engagement among newly graduated members. As part of the raffle promotion Meleitta put posters up in all areas of her facility inviting members who’d graduated in the past three years to update their details with her and go into a free raffle draw. Among those who answered the call (and won some goodies to boot!) was Selina Tyzack (also pictured).

CHRISTMAS JOY!

Hats off to Townsville Hospital for their fabulous Christmas Decorations. Each decoration is handmade by nursing staff and young people over a period of about six weeks leading up to December.

Well over 100 hours of crafting goes into these decorations and it is often tied into an opportunity to build relationships with young people and for them to have ownership over the process. We love their world celebration doors which were a great way to bring a little international flavour to the festive season.

Qcu Breakfast

Women in solidarity: QNMU staff and members shared a lovely brekky with like-minded women at the Queensland Council of Union’s Women’s Breakfast in Brisbane in November. It was an opportunity to network, share and hear from inspiring speakers including Kara Keyes (From the Heart), Janelle Fawkes (Respect Inc) and the RTBU’s Jodie Wickens.

One Of These Great Books For Your Fab Photo

Growing up Queer in Australia by

Benjamin Law

Norfolk Island

QNMU officers Ann-Maree

Daly and Kellie Dwyer visited Norfolk Island Hospital and Residential Aged Care Service Recently.

The support service for the Hospital transitioned from South-East Sydney to Metro North HHS at the beginning of 2022 bringing its nurses and midwives under the wing of the QNMU.

It was great to be able to catch up with some of our most far-flung members in such a gorgeous location.

Orientation Grads

There were plenty of new faces at Townsville University Hospital’s recent Orientation Day, and lots of questions from new student members with a number seeking QNMU help to answer questions about PII requirements for NMBA registration. A big thanks to those who helped our newest members find their feet, and welcome to each and every one!

Compiled by celebrated author and journalist Benjamin Law, Growing up queer in Australia assembles voices from across the spectrum of LGBTIQA+ identity. Spanning diverse places, eras, ethnicities and experiences, these are the stories of growing up queer in Australia.

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

A novel of love, crime, magic, fate and coming of age, set in Brisbane’s violent working class suburban fringe. Boy swallows universe is a story of brotherhood, true love and the most unlikely of friendships.

Remembered by Heart: Anthology of Indigenous Writing by Sally Morgan

From life in the desert to growing up on a mission, enduring devastating policies in the 1930s to bravely seizing new opportunities in the 1960s, these are fifteen true stories reflecting a diverse range of Australian Aboriginal experiences.

Email full-size pics and image details to inscope@qnmu.org.au for our 'in view' pages for your chance to win.