Oct 23, 2007, 03:01 pm
Hey Aaron,
I haven't been on the ward since last week but last week there were definitely people on my ward taking industrial action which involves closing one in four beds to all admission except emergency admission. The strike action is about negotiating a fair enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) specifically nurses are looking for protection of the nurse:patient ratios which the government is trying to change under the guide of "flexibility". Nurses are also requesting a pay increase of 6% per year over three years which would (almost) bring Vic into line iwth other states because at the moment we lag behind in terms of pay (something like 23% less than in NSW). We are also fighting for an EBA that preserves our penalty rates and allowances.
Due to WorkChoices, the industrial action is actually illegal and individual nurses are being threatened with $6000 fines as well has having their pay docked every time they refuse an admission or attend an industrial action meeting. Hospital exec (DONs and ADONs) are individually visiting each nurse who is taking industrial action and requiring them to sign forms to state they understand the fines and pay docking - this has been done is a very intimidating way and the pressure is on for these nurses to back down and accept admissions.
Under WorkChoices the state government is taking court action against the nurses rather than actually coming to the table and negotiating. It's a very bad situation, it's highlighting the fact that WorkChoices has taken away any avenue to fight for better conditions and is designed to benefit the big business rather than the worker. NUMs and ANUMs are being caught in the middle, they want to support the nurses and close beds yet they have even more pressure from management and DONs to take patients and not close beds - our ANUM was in tears on Friday. On some wards there is too much pressure to keep beds open it's a very difficult situation and a very difficult decision to close a bed when you have at least two people in suits asking you sign pieces of paper about fines as well as the general feeling that by closing a bed you have turned away a patient in need.
Personally I hope the nurses hold strong - no-one cares what I do because I'm a student but I really hope they manage to get a good EBA, it's not so much the pay it's the patient ratios and penalty rates. So many nurses have said "if ratios go then I go".
Anyway you can get a lot more information here http://www.anfvic.asn.au/ although at busy times the site may be down as it's having unprecedented demand. There is another state wide meeting of ANF members on Thursday, hopefully the Brumby government will have come up with a reasonable offer by then but I doubt it they seem intent on forcing the nurses down with WorkChoices laws and legal action - but they are shooting themselves in the foot, who will nurse in Victoria if the pay continues to be the worst in Australia and the patient ratios are abolished?
