The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) has decided to disaffiliate from the Labor Party from next year. The decision was originally taken by the union council in February and reported to the QNU annual conference in July.
The QNU, with 35,000 members, is the only branch of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) ever to be affiliated to the ALP. Disaffiliation will end its $80,000 annual donation to the ALP.
A September 20 statement from the union said: 鈥淭he decision to not renew affiliation in 2011 was taken for strategic reasons, as the QNU has decided to take a different approach to its engagement with political entities, governments and the political and public policy process.
鈥淗aving been affiliated with the ALP since 1994, the QNU council was also very aware that the relationship sometimes created confusion amongst QNU members, especially during times of actual or potential conflict with Labor governments such as during negotiations over wages and conditions.
鈥淭he decision has nothing to do with any particular issue, event or person and, it should be noted, actually pre-dated the problems with the new payroll system at Queensland health.鈥
The QNU decision will make Queensland Premier Anna Bligh's leadership position more tenuous, as it will weaken the Labor Left faction 鈥 Bligh's main base within the state ALP. The QNU was part of that faction, but abstained on a resolution proposed by Electrical Trades Union state secretary Peter Simpson to call a special ALP state conference to reverse the push by the Bligh government to privatise huge sectors of public industry in Queensland.
The disastrous impact of the new computerised payroll system introduced by Queensland Health in March 鈥 which meant thousands of employees were not paid, or paid incorrectly, for months 鈥 has strengthened Queensland nurses' determination to break from the ALP.