Red Cross (QLD)

Australian Red Cross Blood Service Queensland

APESMA has been negotiating on behalf of  scientists with the Red Cross since 2009, but no headway has been made.  Red Cross have consistently refused to come to the table and discuss scientists concerns regarding not only their own pay and conditions but planned structural changes that put quality control for Blood Services, and potentially public health, at risk.

The key issues include.

• Under the offer Red Cross employees will be paid $5500 less than similarly skilled and qualified employees in Qld Health. This is before Qld Health finalises a new agreement, with further pay increases, later this year.
• Under the offer new Red Cross employees will be paid close to $1000 less than current employees.
• Red Cross also intends to shift work currently performed by qualified scientists to unqualified staff.
• This poses a risk to the community through the potential for unqualified staff to make errors
• Negotiations have been occurring since September 2009.
• A salary increase of 4% x 3 years has been offered, however, the starting position means that this increase will still leave Red Cross employees $5500 behind Qld Health. (Professional officer level 3 rate)
• A new employee commencing at level 3 under the Red Cross proposal would be paid $962 per annum less than someone who commenced in the same role this time last year.
• The Red Cross proposal envisages that much of the work presently done by University trained scientists will be broken down or compartmentalised so that lesser qualified and unqualified personnel can be utilised.