Greetings friends.
Big news month in June and I’m not talking about Australia’s win in the first Ashes test.
I'm talking about the news that the Queensland government has published the new MOCA 6!
What is a MOCA 6? Aside from a large coffee order it’s also the acronym for Medical Officers Certified Agreement number 6. This sets out the pay increases, salaries, entitlements, allowances etc for doctors from the 2nd of June 2023 to its nominal expiry date of 30th June 2025.
So I prepared myself a celebratory caffè mocha to read through the 68 pages of this document and I am pleased to be able to pick out some highlights for you.
Are Consultants in Queensland still referred to as Staff Specialists or Senior Staff Specialists?
Yes.
How long is the agreement valid for?
3 years.
Have Staff Specialists (Consultants!) salaries gone up and how much by?
Yes they have. Base salary increases are locked in as follows: 4% from 1 July 2023 and 3% from 1 July 2024. An increase from 1st Just 2022 had already been built in.
Is on-call included or excluded for package totals?
It is not included and is calculated as you work/earn.
Has the MOCA 6 taken into account recent inflation rises in Australia?
Yes. See “In each year of the Agreement, if annual inflation (Brisbane Consumer Price Index, all groups, March quarter annual percentage change from the March quarter of the previous year, as published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics) exceeds the wage increase under the agreement for the relevant agreement year, a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) payment will be paid to eligible employees in accordance with the model COLA clause approved and announced by government on 11 October 2022, and within the following parameters:
* at the end of the relevant agreement year;
* equal to the difference between annual inflation and the wage increase for the relevant agreement year, capped at 3%;
* with reference to base wages earned under the agreement during the relevant agreement year, excluding allowances or additional payments; and
* as a one-off lump sum not forming part of base salary and taxed according to the applicable law.
How much is professional development allowance?
This stays the same at AUD21,500 paid to you along with your salary.
Is there a new fatigue management policy ?
Yes there is and it has been developed to enable management of the associated risks of fatigue drawing on current scientific knowledge and current best practice.
Do I still get a car allowance?
Yes - depending on years of experience it will be either AUD21,000 or AUD25,500.
So what can I expect now in terms of salary package?
For a coastal city in Queensland (excluding Brisbane and the Gold Coast) the salary range (excluding on-call etc) will be approx. AUD420k (1 yrs consultant experience) to AUD534k (10 yrs experience).
These are some of the most interesting items worth drawing to your attention but there are plenty more relevant to Consultant's careers in Queensland.
Please contact me for a friendly non-obligatory chat if you have any specific questions about this new agreement in Queensland or in any other Australian state.
alasdair@spinnermedical.com
+447414531583