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SUPERANNUATION INCREASE FROM 12.75% TO 14.25% - CONFIRMED!
During my time as your UFUQ State Secretary a common discussion amongst you and your colleagues has been the forced cessation of your superannuation earning capacity as a result of being required to retire at 65. On that topic, I am pleased to finally be able to report to you today confirmation of an historic change in your superannuation which will take effect on 1 July 2023.
On 8 June 2023, the Queensland Treasurer, The Hon. Mr Cameron Dick MP, wrote to your union confirming that the superannuation changes in this announcement apply to all ‘eligible employees’ of QFES/QFD who are employed under the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 - Qld as ‘fire service officers’ (be they UFUQ members or not) but do not apply to public servants employed by QFES/QFD under the Public Sector Act 2022 - Qld.
Specifically -
- Eligible employees with an accumulation account will receive an employer contribution of 14.25% superannuation from 1 July 2023, up from 12.75%.
- Eligible employees with a defined benefit account will receive the required top-up into their accumulation account if the employer defined benefit contribution is less than 14.25% from 1 July 2023.
- The current co-contribution option (your requirement to contribute 5%) can be varied by you without affecting the full 14.25% to be paid to you as the employer contribution.
The amount of 14.25% was calculated by your union and Queensland Treasury to be equivalent pro-rata to the amount of superannuation paid to QPS employees who are forced to retire at 60. The higher QPS amount and your higher amount both offset the forced cessation of employment against the pension age (currently 67).
Your union, QFES/QFD and Queensland Treasury, will continue to work through any issues or questions arising from this announcement, but this is a positive outcome for you and your colleagues, and I take this opportunity to publicly thank the Treasurer and the Premier for this milestone outcome. Queensland Treasury will confirm further details to you in writing through communications from QFES/QFD and I’ll publish an update when those further details have been sent to you and your union.
I have no doubt you will be pleased to receive this confirmation and I also don’t doubt that many people might try to take credit for this outcome (as they so often do for the positive outcomes you receive). But let me be clear, this increase to your superannuation came about for only one reason, the work of your Union.
The UFUQ constantly works with the Queensland government, its Ministers and public servants, to obtain, maintain and improve your terms and conditions of employment. No one but your union proposed this change, and it certainly was not put forward by anyone in QFES. This change was opposed by individuals within QFES, and I am aware of those individuals who stated they did not wish for this to occur.
Whilst all QFES/QFD employees with a forced retirement age benefit from this increase, they benefit from work done by you and your union. In fact, in his correspondence to your union advising of this decision, the Treasurer stated ‘I want to thank the United Firefighters Union and its members for their advice and assistance with preparing and implementing these changes’. I think that’s clear enough evidence of who did the work with the Treasurer to make this happen.
Your retirement futures now look better than they did prior to this decision.
John Oliver - General Secretary
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