Enterprise Bargaining - Statewide Consultation

We have received positive feedback about the extensive management consultation recently undertaken to inform Queensland Health about issues that should be considered during the next round of enterprise bargaining.

Many of the issues raised were important and worthy of further detailed consideration during the EB process. Some of the issues raised, however, while equally important, would not normally be considered in the context of EB negotiations. These issues may best be addressed through changes to policy and process, and these will also be considered over the coming weeks and months by the HR Branch.

Stakeholder Engagement

Each Area Health Service and Statewide Service Division determined the consultation processes to be conducted within their respective areas of responsibility. This resulted in consultations from both a service delivery and specific occupational stream perspective.

In addition to Queensland Health’s Executive Management Team, and the Executive Teams of each of the Area Health Services, 11 Health Service Districts and two Statewide Service Divisions participated in the consultation process through facilitated workshops with their respective Executive Teams:

•	Cairns and Hinterland
•	Cape York
•	Clinical and Statewide Services
•	Fraser Coast
•	Gold Coast

•	Mackay
•	Mt Isa
•	Princess Alexandra Hospital
•	Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital

•	Shared Service Provider
•	Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula
•	Townsville
•	Wide Bay

Further, workshops were conducted with specific occupation - based advisory groups from the Central and Southern Area Health Services:

•	Medical
•	Nursing
•	Health Professional
•	Directors of Corporate Services (with a focus on the Administrative and Operational workforce)

Workshops were also conducted with management representatives from the:

•	Public Hosptials Oversight Committee (PHOC)
•	Administrative Interest Based Bargaining group (AIBB)
•	Building, Engineering and Maintenance State-wide Bargaining Unit Sub Committee
•	Human Resource Branch - Queensland Health

Workshop Format

During each focus session, participants were invited to consider three key issues:

•	What are the learnings from past EB negotiations that should be considered?
•	What are the issues in need of consideration arising from the current agreements?
•	What are the key principles and /or issues that should be addressed in future agreements?

Participants were also encouraged to provide input that had direct links to:

•	The Queensland Health Strategic Plan 2007-12
•	The Queensland Heatlh People Plan 2007-12, and
•	Enhancing service delivery outcomes

Workshop Outcomes

An overview of the outcomes of this consultation process was provided to the QH Executive Management Team on 10 March 2008 for consideration.

A range of consistent messages emerged during the workshops, with some of the key issues including:

•	There is too much complexity with our current awards, agreements and HR policies.
•	We need greater workforce flexibility, including to opportunity to explore options for staff to learn new skills and undertake tasks across occupational streams.
•	The current application of, and entitlements for, rural and remote recruitment and retention incentives need further consideration on a whole of service basis.
•	Current grievance processes need further consideration and, specifically, there should be a single grievance process for all Queensland Health employees.
•	Further work is required to ensure maximum benefit is derived for Queensland Health and its staff through performance and development (PAD), professional development allowance (PDA) and professional development leave (PDL) entitlements.
•	Recruitment processes remain arduous and further work is required to make this an easier and more ‘user-friendly’ experience.

Last Updated: 25 March 2008
Last Reviewed: 25 March 2008