Stephanie Smail, Siobhan Barry & Melinda Howells, ABC News, July 15, 2010 The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) says members have had a "frank" exchange with Health Minister Paul Lucas about the payroll debacle. Yesterday was the ninth pay day that saw Queensland Health workers short-changed, not paid at all. The Government says 57 Queensland Health workers were not paid at all this fortnight and there are still 24,000 mistakes to be fixed. Mr Lucas fronted delegates at the QNU annual conference in Brisbane yesterday, after hundreds of Queensland Health workers rallied outside Parliament House, demanding to know when the payroll problems will be fixed. ... Nurses

Peter Cameron, Gold Coast Bulletin News, July 15, 2010 Premier Bligh should start hounding Canberra counterpart Julia Gillard to call the federal election and yank Queensland off the front page. Little wonder hundreds of nurses were howling outside Parliament House in Brisbane yesterday. The longer Parliamentary Estimates hearings continue the more inept the Bligh Government sounds on Queensland Health management. The nervous Premier even refused to allow urbane Integrity Commissioner Dr David Solomon to be questioned when she faced the Estimates committee. ... Bligh

Anna Caldwell & Ursula Heger, Courier-Mail, July 14, 2010 Ripped-off nurses told how they were poised to leave Queensland Health as hundreds rallied outside State Parliament. While the angry crowd screamed "show us the money" and "Lucas, can you pay your mortgage?", inside, Health Minister Paul Lucas said he didn't believe the nurses were interested in blame and ultimately just wanted to be paid. ... Queensland

Daniel Hurst, Brisbane Times, July 14, 2010 Queensland's health minister has accused the opposition of laziness as it continued to ask about his prior knowledge of problems with the new payroll system. Deputy Premier and Health Minister Paul Lucas faced another grilling today over the trouble-plagued system at a budget estimates hearing in State Parliament, while about 300 health workers protested outside. His appearance at the annual estimates hearings came two weeks after the release of a damning report by auditor-general Glenn Poole, and sparked fresh opposition calls for his resignation. ... Opposition

David Barbeler, AAP, July 14, 2010 Queensland's health minister says underpaid workers aren't interested in laying blame for the Queensland Health payroll debacle - they just want it fixed. More than 300 protesters rallied outside parliament house in Brisbane on Wednesday, saying the government must tell them how and when the payroll system will be fixed. The rally coincided with a ninth straight chaotic pay run since the new system was adopted more than four months ago, which has left thousands of workers underpaid or overpaid. ... 12

Di Stanley, Central Queensland News, July 14, 2010 Emerald nurses will join a protest rally outside Parliament House today to voice their anger and frustration over the sick state of the Queensland Health payroll debacle. Every fortnight for five months, nurses across the Central Highlands and Isaac council regions have been overpaid, underpaid or not paid at all, leading to some deciding to leave the profession. The health professionals, with families, mortgages and everyday expenses, have been vocal in their condemnation of Health Minister Paul Lucas for failing to fix the system. ... Emerald

Northside Chronicle, May 28, 2010 Following yesterday’s Queensland Industrial Relations Commission conference dealing with Queensland Health payroll issues, commissioner John Thompson’s notes were: Queensland Health was directed to outline, to union representatives by 4.00 PM tomorrow 28 May, what it means when it says no employee will be financially disadvantaged by the payroll bungle. Union representatives then have until 4.00 PM next Tuesday, 1 June, to provide Queensland Health with their response. ... Nurses

Janelle Miles & Anna Caldwell, Courier-Mail, May 21, 2010 Casual nurses are knocking back shifts at public hospitals because they cannot guarantee they will be paid as the Queensland Health payroll crisis rolls on. Furious Prince Charles Hospital workers staged a protest yesterday, telling Queensland Health Director-General Mick Reid casual nurses were turning to private hospitals for work because of the ongoing payroll bungles. The hospital's cardiology nurse unit manager, Janelle Taylor, told Mr Reid nurses had been hit with additional interest charges on credit cards, loss of mortgage offset and bank fees for late payments ... Nurses

BigPond News, May 20, 2010 Queensland nurses will hold a protest rally today against the health department's poor handling of the transition to a new payroll system. Tens of thousands of Queensland Health staff have been underpaid, overpaid or not paid at all after the installation of new pay software in the department. And the nurses say the problems have continued in the latest cycle this week. The nurses' union, the QNU says it's given the state government and Queensland Health a fair amount of time to resolve the problems.

AAP, May 20, 2010 Premier Anna Bligh says there's been a "quantum leap improvement" in Queensland Health's pay system, with only 29 people getting empty pay packets this week. But nurses will hold a protest rally at Brisbane's Prince Charles Hospital at noon on Thursday to vent their anger at the department's poor handling of the transition to a new payroll system. Tens of thousands have been underpaid, overpaid or not paid at all due to glitches in new software that came online in March. ... Improvements

Ananya Mandal, MD, News-Medical.net, May 19, 2010 In a new development regarding the recent Queensland Health payroll errors the department's payroll services director Janette Jones was reportedly moved out of her role following complaints about her handling of the whole issue. There has been massive payroll bungles that have lead to thousands of health care staff underpaid, overpaid or not paid after the introduction of a new computerized system of payment this March. ... Queensland

Natalie Poyhonen, ABC News, May 5, 2010 The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) says the Queensland Health (QH) payroll problem is diabolical. Today marks the fourth pay run since a new system was introduced. QNU secretary Gay Hawksworth says there are reports nurses are getting their base pay but some are not being paid overtime or penalty rates. But she says underpaid nurses are now asking hospitals for relief cash payments. "It certainly hasn't been fixed," she said. ... Nurses

Bundaberg News Mail, May 5, 2010 Bundaberg Hospital nurses will hold a protest against Queensland Health's payroll stuff-up from 3 PM today. The nurses and other hospital employees today face their fourth pay day without receiving the correct payment. Queensland Nurses' Union Bundaberg regional organiser Vicki Smyth said nurses would wear black shirts all day today before gathering outside the hospital around 3 PM. “They just want them to get it sorted,” she said. ... Nurses

ABC, April 30, 2010 Wide Bay nurses will again voice their concerns over ongoing pay issues with Queensland Health at a meeting next week. Queensland Nurses Union regional organiser Vicki Smythe says up to 2,000 workers in the Wide Bay Burnett region have been underpaid or not paid at all since the introduction of a new pay system, about six weeks ago. Yesterday, hundreds of workers attended rallies in Brisbane and Townsville. ... Nurses

David Barbeler, Brisbane Times, April 23, 2010 Nurses have set aside next Thursday for a day of action over the Queensland Health payroll debacle. Nurses from around the state have agreed to hold the Our Pay Protest Day on April 29. The day will involve nurses wearing stickers, badges and black shirts, but will not affect patient services. The action follows problems with the department's new payroll system, which has seen thousands underpaid, overpaid or not paid at all. Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek said he was "surprised" the nurses' union hadn't already begun industrial action. ... Nurses