CODE 2, VOL 35, NO 21 : 05 july 2021

SOU / QFES 17.5% CASE UPDATE

I reported to you on Friday 2 July 2021 that the QFES Senior Officers Union (SOU) had lodged an application to obtain an injunction against QFES being able to provide eligible UFUQ members with 17.5% annual leave loading.

UFUQ has joined the proceeding:
As I reported to you,  the UFUQ applied to be joined legally to the SOU application.  That has occurred.  Doing so has resulted in your state UFUQ office receiving some communications between the SOU and QFES.  These shed significant light on the circumstances at play.

As a party to the matter, your union will be in attendance at the mention at QIRC on Tuesday 6 July 2021.

I thank the significant number of members who have taken a stand in solidarity with your union and contacted the state office and/or your union delegates. It would appear that you are all as astounded by these proceedings as your state office is. Well, prepare to be even more astounded.

The SOU Application:
The SOU application is in two parts. Part 1 is for a temporary injunction until the case is heard and Part 2 is for provision of the annual leave loading to be permanently stopped.

Part 1 – This is the application for a temporary injunction.

The temporary injunction SOU had claimed is unlikely to be pressed by them now, because QFES (and this is a significant moment in the proceeding of this matter) reported to the QIRC that –
‘(QFES) undertakes not to make any payment of annual leave loading… until such time as a conciliation conference or mention is listed by the QIRC.’

It therefore remains to be seen what happens regarding your entitlements after the mention and any conciliation conference is listed.  This information will be sought by your union and I will report this to you after the planned mention of 6 July.

Having said that, it would appear that all it took to have your access to leave loading ceased for the time being, is for QFES middle management to make a QIRC application to stop it, so that QFES middle management could agree to the application and stop it.

Part 2 – This is the application to permanently stop you from getting the 17.5% annual leave loading.

There is lots of water still to flow under the bridge on this matter and I will report back after the mention at QIRC which is currently listed for 1000am Tuesday 6 July 2021.

Be careful who you talk to:
I again caution members to hold back from discussing these proceedings with anyone that isn’t a UFUQ member.

John Oliver - General Secretary