Healthscope nurses' industrial action

DURING '2020 Year of Covid' the Healthscope staff agreement expired.

David Twyford, general manager of workplace relations, asked for an extension as it seemed best during uncertain times, and we agreed. In early September we contacted Healthscope to get things rolling as we'd heard that ANMF had already met, which was unprofessional at best as bargaining is something all parties are meant to participate in. It took weeks to get a meeting date set and, as frustrating as that was, it got worse when we finally did meet as we learned they'd rejected all our members' claims.

They also only offered a 1.7% pay increase, saying they were bringing it back in line with the public sector, which is in reality a pay freeze. Members asked for a patient safety clause to be put in place to address the ongoing issues and concerns they have due to the workload and understaffing. We consulted with our members who overwhelmingly voted to start the process of Protected Industrial Action.

This PIA was submitted and accepted and in the 11 February 2021 ballot members voted with a resounding YES. Healthscope then started using scare tactics by sending letters to our members saying they were in breach and weren't allowed to be talking about the upcoming bans. We made Healthscope aware of the law that it's part of the campaign and our members are entitled to discuss their plan for upcoming actions. Bans started on 23 February with the wearing of badges and stickers and handing out flyers to patients and the public outlining the reason why nurses have resorted to taking protected industrial action. These bans allow us to talk about the PIA and discuss it with the media, and radio and news media was done the next day. Our members and the community deserve better than this treatment by Healthscope and their refusal to recognise any issues. Nurses have the support of surgeons working at Healthscope as well as the public, and they're ready to fight for themselves and for their patients.

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