In This Section
What is SDQ?
SDQ is the only Queensland Doctors only Union in Queensland run for Doctors by Doctors.
This puts us in the unique and powerful position of not having to balance the issues of more than one interest group.
Your subscription to Salaried Doctors Queensland puts us in an even stronger position to be able to effectively bargain for your entitlements. The greater our membership the more resources we will have to bring force to bear during individual and collective bargaining process's. A strong membership sends a clear message to government that we stand united and will not tolerate substandard conditions or entitlements.
HISTORY OF SDQ
Prior to 2000 Queensland doctor’s choice of union membership was limited to the Queensland Public Sector Union (QPSU).
Queensland salaried doctors fell under a broad generic public sector agreement called the Queensland Public Heath Sector Certified Agreement and as a consequence were one of the poorest paid group of doctors in the country.
This was true in part because doctors were overwhelmingly outnumbered by the other occupational groups in Queensland Health. These other occupational groups had different needs and expectation from the agreement.
This suited Queensland Health because it did not have to offer doctors any extra incentives or adequate remuneration. This was cemented into place with the Australian provider number legislation introduced in the late nineties which essentially bonded Junior Doctors to Public health employment until they gained specialist qualifications.
However, the Senior Doctors were not so bound and began to leave Queensland Health in large numbers (especially emergency medicine) there was also an dearth of suitable respondents to positions advertised. The recruitment and retention issue came to a head and junior doctors began to fear that the lack of specialists might lead to reduced hospital accreditation and decreased training places.
A group of doctors within the AMAQ sponsored the creation of a doctors only union, which could in turn champion the idea of a doctor’s only certified agreement.
This was envisaged at the outset as requiring initial support but existing as a separate legal entity requiring its own independent board of directors and management committee.
Salaried Doctors Queensland was registered in February 2000 under the name ASMOFQ (Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation Queensland).
When SDQ (formally ASMOFQ) was registered it faced vigorous opposition from the Queensland Public Sector Union.
The need for a doctors-only union (as exists in ALL other states) was considered so vital, that SDQ agreed to settle the QPSU objection by giving an undertaking not to knowingly attempt to recruit, or to intrude between QPSU and it's members.
SDQ was instrumental in securing a doctors only agreement in 2005 and from that flowed the fantastic gains for senior doctors in MOCA1. This stemmed the tide of senior doctors moving interstate for greater remuneration.
SDQ changed its name from ASMOFQ in 2007 to stop the confusion between itself and the state branch of the federally registered doctors only union (and affiliate of SDQ) known as ASMOF (Qld). SDQ's affiliation with ASMOF (Qld) allows it to represent doctors at Mater Hospital who are covered by the Federal Award.
AMAQ and SDQ
AMAQ and SDQ had a conjoint membership arrangement up until January 2009. Genuine attempts by SDQ and its counterpart federal orgainisation ASMOF to reach an understanding with AMAQ this year has failed to date. Don’t be fooled into joining AMAQ in the belief that you have automatic membership of SDQ.
AMAQ is a medicopoliticalbody, not a union.
SDQ is aware that AMAQ have claimed that they have started a union with the Queensland Public Sector Union called "Doctors Union Queensland" which they have promoted as a bona fide union. This is not the case, this organisation is not a registered union (otherwise known as an indusrtial orgainisation of employees) and cannot represent you in the QIRC. You could find yourself in the situation of believing you are a union member, finding you have a problem with your employer only to discover you have no union cover! Check this out at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission website
AMAQ may have a conflict in interest based on their membership, most of whom are not salaried medical officers but rather private specialists and VMO's. AMAQ supported the recent MOCA2 agreement despite meeting with SDQ and acknowledging their was no improvement in PDA, no backdating of pay and other reductions in entitlements.
AMAQ appear to have misrepresented DUQ in order to recruit junior doctor membership to their organisation and are rumoured to have accepted a large monetary endowment from QPSU in order to give then access to the AMAQ salaried doctors membership database. In doing so, AMAQ may have put all Queensland Salaried Doctors entitlements and conditions in jeopardy.
SDQ is the only Queensland Doctors only Union in Queensland run for Doctors by Doctors.
This puts us in the unique and powerful position of not having to balance the issues of more than one interest group.
Your subscription to Salaried Doctors Queensland puts us in an even stronger position to be able to effectively bargain for your entitlements. The greater our membership the more resources we will have to bring force to bear during individual and collective bargaining process's. A strong membership sends a clear message to government that we stand united and will not tolerate substandard conditions or entitlements.