This week, your delegates and union representatives presented the QCS appendix log of claims to Queensland Corrective Services. The Core bargaining team also presented a substantial package of claims, covering a broad range of issues from leave entitlements and allowances through to job security, training, and workplace wellbeing. Here's a full breakdown of what was discussed.
Claim — Workload Management and Staffing in Programs
This claim is about getting staffing and workload under control across QCS.
We are pursuing:
Clear timeframes to fill vacancies — positions to be filled within six months of certification
Staffing levels linked to real demand — including where appropriate, prisoner numbers, service demand, and custodial staffing levels.
More permanent jobs — reducing reliance on temporary and casual arrangements
Workload management strategies — including regular staffing reviews to ensure work is safe and sustainable
This reflects what members have been telling us: workload is not just “busy” — it is structurally unsustainable. This claim is about forcing the employer to properly resource the work, rather than continuing to push risk and pressure onto staff.
Claim — Correctional Environment Allowance for POs and AOs
This claim is about recognising the reality of working inside correctional centres.
We are pursuing:
A dedicated allowance for Professional Officers and Administrative Officers working in correctional environments
Alignment with existing Queensland Health comparators in similar environments
This is a fairness and parity claim. Members in corrections settings are working in environments that carry unique risks and pressures, yet this is not currently reflected in their pay. This claim seeks to close that gap and formally recognise the environment members work in every day.
Claim — Retention Allowance
This claim is about keeping experienced staff in the system.
We are pursuing:
A retention allowance of $60 per fortnight for staff at the top of their classification band. This responds directly to a consistent pattern across corrections:
experienced staff reach the top of their band
pay progression stops and people leave.
This claim is designed to address that retention cliff, recognising experience and providing a practical incentive to stay. It complements the broader AO claims around career structure and job security by ensuring expertise is retained, not lost
Your union made it very clear at the table that the cost of living is a significant priority for members when considering any offer.
Specifically noting that members are closely watching inflation, and are not prepared to lock ourselves into suggesting a figure until we see how inflation tracks between now and July.
We had a thorough discussion about how workload management tools function and the shared desire to address workload concerns meaningfully. Unfortunately, genuine proactive workload management is rare. Most agencies either don't have a workload tool in place or don't actively use and promote one. There is a clear issue where workload is managed reactively rather than proactively, if at all. We talked about the example of when staff numbers reduce through resignations, secondments, or leave, and how too often, workloads are not reviewed and revised to recognize the reduction in staffing resources.
The government is keen to gather real, lived examples from members about workload concerns – particularly systemic issues. We will be working with delegates and members to collect examples to share.
Our discussions centered on the need for transparency, consistency, and genuine recognition of the benefits flexible work arrangements provide for both employees and employers. Currently, decisions appear to rest heavily on individual managers' views rather than a consistent, principled framework. We pushed for clearer obligations and expectations around how FWA requests are considered – what is reasonable, what is not as an important step toward improving this entitlement for members.
We discussed the need to properly recognise the rapid pace of emerging technology and the real impacts it has on our members' work. We need clear frameworks around how, when, and why artificial intelligence is being used in the workplace. Ongoing training and development is essential, as is genuine consultation and transparency when AI tools are being considered or introduced.
Leave and Work-Life Balance
Claim 5 — Right to Disconnect We put forward the case for a genuine right to disconnect — giving members the ability to switch off outside of their rostered hours without fear of repercussion. In an environment where technology increasingly blurs the line between work and personal time, this is a protection members deserve to have enshrined in their agreement. It also related to the importance of fair and reasonable renumeration for workers when they do not have the right to disconnect because they are on-call.
Claim 6 — Introduction of Carers Leave Entitlements This claim seeks to introduce dedicated carers leave, recognising that many members carry significant caring responsibilities for family members and loved ones. Proper carers leave means members aren't forced to burn through their personal leave simply because someone they care for needs support.
Claim 7 — Increase in Annual Leave Entitlements The current annual leave entitlement hasn't kept pace with community standards or the demands placed on members. We're pushing for an increase that gives people the genuine rest and recovery time they need.
Claim 8 — Improved Paid Parental Leave Our claim seeks to significantly improve paid parental leave entitlements — both in duration and in how it's structured — to better support members and their families during one of the most important periods of their lives.
Claim 9 — Paid Cultural Leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employees This claim recognises the importance of cultural obligations, ceremonies, and community responsibilities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. Paid cultural leave is about respect — giving First Nations members the time they need to fulfil those obligations without financial penalty.
Claim 10 — Sick Leave for Planned Medical Appointments Currently, members in some circumstances must use personal leave for planned medical appointments. This claim seeks to create a cleaner, fairer framework so that attending to your health doesn't eat into your recreational leave balances unnecessarily.
Claim 11 — Rural and Remote Incentives Attracting and retaining quality people in regional and remote postings requires genuine incentives. This claim seeks to improve the package of benefits available to members working outside metropolitan areas, recognising the additional costs they absorb.
Claim 12 — Increased Kilometric Reimbursement Rate The current kilometric reimbursement rate does not reflect the real cost of running a vehicle. With fuel and vehicle costs significantly higher than when the rate was last set, we're pushing for an increase that actually covers what members are spending.
Claim 13 — Introduction of a Health and Safety Representative (HSR) Allowance Health and Safety Representatives carry real responsibility for the safety of their colleagues — responsibility that is currently unrecognised in their pay. This claim introduces a specific allowance that acknowledges and rewards the important work HSRs do in the same way the first aid allowance is currently recognised.
Claim 14 — Increased On-Call Allowance We presented our position on improving the on-call allowance rate. The current rate does not fairly compensate for the impact being on-call have on member work life balance. We have noted that our specific quantum for this claim is still to come — we will be providing that detail as negotiations progress.
Claim 15 — Remove the Cap on Overtime Payments The current structure of how overtime is renumerated for employees is unfair. Members are seeking to remove that current classification cap on who can claim overtime payments rather than toil so that overtime is fairly paid for the time worked.
Claim 25 — Increased Employer Superannuation Contributions Retirement security matters. This claim seeks an increase in employer superannuation contributions, helping members build genuine financial security for their futures and keeping the State Public Service as leaders in this space.
Claim 26 — Remove Administrative Costs for Salary Sacrificing Members who choose to salary sacrifice should not be penalised with administrative fees for doing so. This claim seeks to remove those costs, making salary sacrificing a genuinely accessible and worthwhile option.
Claim 16 — Improved Job Security for Higher Duties Members performing higher duties for extended periods deserve clarity and security. This claim seeks to strengthen protections around higher duties arrangements so that members aren't left in limbo, and so that long-term higher duties performance in same/similar roles is properly recognised.
Claim 19 — Improved SARAS (Study and Research Assistance Scheme) Processes The Study and Research Assistance Scheme is a valuable entitlement, but the current processes are cumbersome and inconsistently applied. We're pushing for clearer, fairer, and more accessible SARAS processes so members can actually use the entitlement they're entitled to.
Claim 20 — Job Evaluation — Equal Remuneration This claim addresses equal remuneration through proper job evaluation processes, a process that is conducted in a timely and transparent manner ensuring that work of equal or comparable value is compensated equally. It's a matter of fairness and basic equity across the workforce.
Claim 17 — Mental Health First Aid Training We're seeking a commitment to provide Mental Health First Aid training including refresher training across the workforce. Equipping members and their colleagues with the skills to recognise and respond to mental health challenges is an investment in a safer, healthier workplace.
Claim 18 — Annual Cultural Awareness Training This claim seeks to embed annual cultural awareness training as a standard commitment — building a more inclusive and respectful workplace for all members, and particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues.
Claim 27 — Best Practice Standards for Contact and Call Centre Environments Members working in contact and call centre environments face specific pressures and workplace conditions. This claim seeks to introduce best practice standards that protect their health, wellbeing, and working conditions.
Claim 28 — Reproductive Rights This claim seeks to enshrine the existing entitlements covered in the Directive into the agreement.
As with previous sessions, the department largely listened. Where the department has engaged more substantively, the themes have been consistent. They have been asking questions that explore the issues members experience in practice and how existing entitlements fall short in addressing them. They have also been probing the potential impacts of claims across the broader sector — and raising cost implications as a consideration for the government to work through.
This is not unusual at this stage of bargaining. It tells us the department is working through the practical and financial dimensions of our claims rather than dismissing them outright, and it reinforces the importance of members continuing to share their experiences so we can ground every claim in real, lived evidence. The stronger the picture we can paint of what members are actually going through, the harder it is for the department to look past it.
The department has still not indicated which claims they may be prepared to move on. We expect that picture to become clearer as negotiations progress.
We have now tabled a significant portion of our claims log. Next week's session will turn to workplace health and safety — an area where we have four important claims that go to the heart of keeping members safe, supported, and properly protected at work:
We will continue to keep you informed as negotiations progress. If you have any questions or want to share your experiences, please don't hesitate to get in touch at your.union@together.org.au
Reminder you can see your endorsed log of claims here.