In December 2022, you may have spotted on your social media feed photos of nurses and midwives rallying on the streets outside some of Queensland’s largest private hospitals.

That was the work of some amazing QNMU members, who’d just been presented with an offer from UnitingCare Health for a new enterprise agreement that just didn’t cut it.

In a true demonstration of what can be achieved when nurses and midwives stand together and use our collective voice, QNMU members later went on to secure one of the best enterprise agreements in the private sector.

The agreement includes the biggest increases to wages and allowances offered to any group of health workers for a long time – 14.5% over three years, up from the employer’s original offer of 11%.

That’s in addition to a raft of further improvements to working conditions, many of which bring UCH into line with, or in front of, Queensland Health. 

So how did UCH come to improve their offer so substantially?

A demand for respect

It all came down to members themselves, and the willingness of nurses and midwives to speak out when it mattered and not give up.

Registered Nurse (and QNMU Organiser) Michelle Benstead worked at St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital during EB negotiations. She said the main thing UCH nurses and midwives wanted from a new agreement was respect.

“My colleagues and I had worked tirelessly through the uncertainty of COVID-19, through a cyber-attack that caused a massive disruption to our ability to provide quality patient care, through a Kronos outage that affected us getting correctly paid for six weeks,” Michelle said.

“All this was off the back of years of cuts made to support services including education and food services.

“We were downtrodden, fatigued and in desperate need of a break. So when the initial enterprise agreement offer came from management, nurses were enraged.”



This marked the first time UCH was stepping away from wage parity with Queensland Health, which would have set a dangerous precedent had members allowed it to pass.

“The 11% increase offer didn’t factor in the cost-of-living adjustment payments that the public sector were getting or the increased Sunday penalty rate,” Michelle said.

“The wage offer left a lot to be desired and it really wasn’t difficult getting activism to occur off the back of the staff feeling disrespected about their worth.”

Pushing back

QNMU members swung into action, with key QNMU Workplace Representatives, including Registered Nurse Joel Clarke from The Wesley Hospital, ensuring their colleagues understood what was being offered and why it wasn’t acceptable. 

“I spent some time going from ward to ward speaking to members, discussing their concerns, explaining the bargaining process, encouraging them to talk to their peers and get active,” Joel said.  

“Not only were we being offered a lowly 11%, but there was also a failure to meet most of the items on our log of claims. 

“We needed to show we weren’t just aggrieved by the offer, but that we were organised and prepared to take action.”

Rallies and a ‘no’ vote

It was at this point that QNMU members organised a series of public rallies, which were scheduled across UCH sites over several weeks. 

“The rallies we held were a demonstration of how frustrated we were,” Joel said.

And the rallies were backed up by a decisive ‘no’ vote.

“The strong no vote to the first offer showed that we represented the majority of nurses at UCH. 

“We made it pretty clear that if UCH didn’t come back with a respectable offer, they would be facing protected industrial action.”

Part of the challenge of getting those rallies up and running, according to Michelle, was overcoming the fear of repercussions for speaking out.

“Initially, I think it was important for my colleagues to see me leading by example and speaking up,” Michelle said.

“Once that got some momentum, nurses were happy to talk about the bargaining and we steamrolled into the rallies. 

“The day of the St Andrew’s rally, there was a buzz around the hospital … people were excited to be part of the change. 

“It was as if people could see a light at the end of the tunnel and they wanted to be part of it.”  

Communication and education

Enterprise agreement negotiations can be drawn out and complicated, and nurses and midwives just want to get on with their job of caring for their patients.

But UCH Workplace Representatives knew that an informed workforce would be key to success.

Registered Nurse at St Stephen’s Hospital Melissa Muir set up a group messenger chat so she could easily update her colleagues on how bargaining was going. 

“I also took opportunities when appropriate to speak directly with key staff who were asking about the negotiations, and I also did ward walkarounds after my shifts,” Melissa said.  

“During these walkarounds it was clear how little people knew about their entitlements and how they are created.

“I found this process very empowering as it created discussion amongst my colleagues and I was able to provide them with support about the importance of belonging to the union.”



And while the word ‘activist’ may seem foreign and daunting, it doesn’t necessarily mean leading a rally and waving a flag, as Melissa explains.

“I see my role as an activist and Workplace Rep as someone who people can approach in the workplace for fair and accurate information. 

“It’s important to me employers are held accountable to what is written in our agreements.

“Generations of nurses have fought for our most basic entitlements, and that perhaps can be taken for granted.”

A collective effort

Suffice to say, UCH’s significantly improved offer would not have happened were it not for the efforts of all QNMU members.

As Registered Nurse Pat Tanner from Buderim Private Hospital explains, the work of individual activists is far more effective when they are supported by their colleagues. 

“If members across UCH didn’t engage in this process then we wouldn’t be in the better position we find ourselves now,” Pat said.

“There is no ‘alone’ in this career, workplace, or union. Whether we like it or not, we are a collective. 

“There is still a lot we need to achieve in the workplace, and the QNMU offers support in the form of training and guidance, which can direct your energies to fulfill the outcomes you want.”

Preparation is key

The key to success, perhaps more than anything else however, was the preparation work involved at each UCH workplace. This included establishing a structure of member networks that facilitated quick communication and empowered members to have a voice.

At every site, and within every ward, unit or area, at least two QNMU members nominated to be contacts – the conduits between QNMU staff and every other QNMU member to ensure everyone knew what was going on.

These contacts understood their colleagues and what they were prepared to do, and worked with site co-ordinators to ensure the union and members had a strong presence at the bargaining table.

Most importantly, this structure was in place before bargaining got underway, and signalled to the employer that nurses and midwives meant business. 

Enforcing the agreement

Like every agreement, the work doesn’t stop after a new agreement is approved. For UCH nurses and midwives, the next step is implementing their new agreement, including a new workloads clause. 

According to Joel, workloads was the major issue going into bargaining.

“For the workloads clause we secured to actually work, nurses and midwives have to enforce it,” Joel said.

“UCH agreed to this workload clause, and I, along with the other delegates, will continue to hold hospital management to account. But to do that, we need members to use their workload reporting forms.”

And as for the next round of bargaining? Work is already underway to ensure members present an even greater united force. 

“To enforce the agreement we secured, and to be in a better position to bargain for our next agreement, we need more members to get involved,” Joel said.

“Being active can be as simple as talking to your colleagues to ensure we all know our workplace rights … and to know we all have each other’s backs.

“Addressing your concerns collectively makes a huge difference.”

Michelle agreed, adding there was strength in numbers, and nurses and midwives never have to accept the status quo.  

“It’s okay to question things and it doesn’t have to be adversarial,” Michelle said. 

“Being active in your workplace can be as simple as attending a branch meeting to raise any concerns at a local level. 

“We are all feeling the pinch from COVID – it has put pressure on an already fragile system. But there is hope when we all stick together and speak up.”