CODE 2, VOL 38, NO 13 : 23 may 2024

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CHANGES - PRESUMPTIVE LEGISLATION COVER INCREASE - UPDATE

You will recall I provided Code 2 updates to you (most recently on 17 and 29 April 2024) regarding the changes to workers’ compensation laws currently making their way through the parliamentary process. 

I am pleased to say your union provided our written submission in support of the law changes to the parliament on Monday 13 May 2024. You can find a copy of our submission here.

I also appeared at the public hearing on the Bill, and you can find a transcript of that appearance here. Our submissions start on page 12.

At the public hearing, I made sure that members of parliament understood that these laws are only good news for people who’ve recently received bad news and that the access to these laws is incredibly important in their easing of the burden of the administrative process of accessing compensation for the fact you have been injured at work.

The parliamentary committee will now consider our submissions and their report is due to be published on 7 June 2024. Your union and the Queensland Council of Unions provided the only submissions on the extension of the deemed diseases list.

The laws will again be debated in parliament before hopefully passing with our inclusions becoming law soon after. It is difficult to say when these new laws will commence and it may be as late as September 2024.

ELIGIBILITY FOR NEW DEEMED DISEASE COVERAGE?
It is only after commencement that any access to the laws can occur.

Since I have been providing updates, your state union office has been contacted by multiple members who have been diagnosed with diseases included in the expanded list, wanting to know how they can access the new coverage. Unfortunately, the way all workers’ compensation laws in Queensland operate is that the diagnosis of any injury (including deemed diseases) MUST occur after the laws have commenced. There can be no retroactive application of the access to presumption of injury.

John Oliver - General Secretary 

 

 

Authorised by John Oliver General Secretary 
United Firefighters' Union of Australia, Union of Employees QLD

v38#13 - WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CHANGES - PRESUMPTIVE LEGISLATION COVER INCREASE - UPDATE

In this edition - You will recall I provided Code 2 updates to you (most recently on 17 and 29 April 2024) regarding the changes to workers’ compensation laws currently making their way through the parliamentary process.

v38#12 INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS’ DAY

In this edition - As firefighters we dedicate our lives to protecting our communities and to looking after each other, and we take great pride in what we do.

v38#11 REMEMBERING IZZY NASH

In this edition - On 2 May 2023 FF Izzy Nash passed away as a result of injuries she sustained on the job at a structure fire. Izzy’s colleague Lia Drew was also badly injured in the same indecent.

v38#10 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAW CHANGES – UPDATE

In this edition - The process of the amendments to the workers’ compensation legislation continues. I reported that I’d give you an update on aspects of the amendments beyond the extension of deemed diseases from 12 to 22.

v38#9 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CHANGES INTRODUCED TO QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT

In this edition - I am pleased to report that after more than a year of work by your union, on Wednesday 17 April, 2024 the Hon Ms Grace Grace, Minister for Industrial Relations introduced a Bill amending the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003. I take this opportunity to thank Minister Grace on behalf of all firefighters for her and her department's engagement with your union on the journey to the Bill being tabled today.

v38#7 NEW QFD LEGISLATION – PROGRESS UPDATE

In this edition - On Tuesday 26 March 2024, the UFUQ will appear in person at the Public Hearing in Queensland parliament before the Community Safety and Legal Affairs Committee.

v38#5 NEW QFD LEGISLATION PROCESS – PROGRESS UPDATE

In this edition - I reported to you on 7 March 2024 that the Bill to amend the FES Act 1990 was introduced into Queensland parliament. I again thank Minister Boyd for her ongoing support for progression of the new legislation and the new QFD, returning the focus of the department to operations and operational outcomes.

v38#4 NEW QFD LEGISLATION TABLED IN QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT

In this edition - I have published multiple Code 2’s in recent years about the UFUQ position that legislative reform was needed to protect the professional firefighting role in Queensland. Your union has done a significant amount of work talking to the Queensland government about this and finally, we can announce the commencement of the legislative changes we have been pushing for.

v38#3 UFUQ REMEMBERS SUB-STATION OFFICER HERBIE FENNELL AND FIREFIGHTER NOEL WATSON KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY 11 FEBRUARY 1994

In this edition - This 11th of February 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the fire at Southport Honda where Sub-Station Officer Herbie Fennell and Firefighter Noel Watson were killed in the line of duty.

v38#1 UFUQ WELCOMES 2024 WITH QFD AND MORE

In this edition - On behalf of your Executive, State Committee members and all elected officials I welcome members to the first 2024 Code 2 from your union. This is an exciting year for all members, with QFD and its return to a focus on operations and operational outcomes being a significant improvement to the bloated QFES, which had lost its way under bad leadership.

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