Qld budget bad news for public servants who want a pay rise

The Queensland state government is staring down a $1.2bn wage bill blackhole after using a rejected pay offer to underpin its budget.

Frontline workers, like police, teachers, nurses, and firefighters, are fighting for pay bumps as high as 8 per cent, with pressure mounting on the state government to strike a deal with just weeks left on existing wage deals.

But, Treasurer David Janetzki’s first budget handed down on Tuesday made room for public sector employee expenses to grow by just 3.5 per cent on average over the next four years.

It means the state government — at worst — faces a wages blackhole worth $1.2bn if the unions get their way.

Already unions, including those representing nurses and teachers, have rejected the state government’s initial pay offer of 3 per cent in the first year followed by 2.5 per cent increases in the subsequent years.

Nurses are asking for “nation leading” wages after their Victorian counterparts secured a 7 per cent increase, while firefighters are expected to request 6 per cent.

If frontline workers are successful in getting the pay rises they are asking for, departments will need to find another $16.8m for firefighters, $141.2m for police, $458m for teachers and $587m for health workers.

Premier David Crisafulli and Mr Janetzki, in the budget, have touted plans to add 6073 full-time public servants to the books including 4400 in Queensland Health.

But Queensland Council of Unions secretary Jacqueline King has questioned how the government could grow the workforce and make sure existing staff stay on without properly paying essential workers.

“We’re concerned that the figures in the budget simply don’t add up, and it’s clear that the budget is missing millions of dollars to properly pay our public sector workforce, including the additional over 6000 new frontline workers they hope to attract,” she said.

“The government keeps talking about negotiating in good faith, now they need to come to the table with a fair dinkum offer, otherwise we’ll end up in a ‘Yes Minister‘ scenario, with Queensland’s hospitals empty of staff and unable to service our communities.”

Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly stated that the government would continue to negotiate in good faith.

“Wages are one component of an important part, so are conditions, so are resources,” he said.

“I do have every belief we will come to a deal … it’ll respect taxpayers money will also indicate how much we value public service, secure and well paid and good resources.”

The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) are currently undertaking protected strike action following months of failed wage negotiations.

Public service jobs are projected to grow by 2.24 per cent in the 2025-26 financial year, from 271,279 to 277,352.

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Originally published as Bad news for public servants who want a pay rise