A race to the top

The momentous win by our aged care sector members will change the picture for all nurses, but only if we remain engaged and forward thinking.

A special day for our union occurred on 1 July. It was a historic moment. Over the last few months we have rightly celebrated the achievements of our aged care members, who have fought hard and bravely to lift their sector out of the abyss it found itself in during COVID-19 and onto a path of renewal and sustainability.

Finally, the rewards of that struggle have started to become real, with the 15 per cent pay rise beginning to flow through to members and the introduction of RN 24/7 from 1 July (see p. 8).

Like all great historical achievements these are not merely events; they are milestones in a process that started a long time ago and will continue for some time yet.

But the rewards are now tangible and there are more to come. It is a welcome start.

These wins were hard won and their implementation and the ongoing improvements that are still needed in the sector to provide the care elderly Australians deserve require us to keep fighting.

The majority of employers are complying. But we know there will be some that won’t. It would be naïve to think otherwise. It is our job to keep these employers honest.

The consequences of better pay and better care in aged care will also be felt in the public health sector and in private hospitals.

They will bring genuine competition into the health workforce. Aged care employers could be paying more than those in the public health system and private hospitals. It means nurses will have choices. It will create pressures and challenges in these other areas but will also provide opportunities.

We shouldn’t underestimate the significance of that.

If employers in any sector want to be able to attract and retain nurses, they are going to have to raise their game in terms of remuneration, conditions of work and standards of care. It will be healthy competition that we welcome – a race to the top.

Nurses Will Have Choices

Already we are seeing signs that private hospitals have recognised this new reality.

One example is at Chris O’Brien Lighthouse, where our members have achieved a remarkable win with a significant pay increase and enhancements around ratios. As The Lamp goes to print, at St Vincent’s Australia there is an in-principle agreement for ratios and an 11 per cent pay rise over three years.

The employer shifted significantly after five rounds of industrial action. But they also faced a labour market for nurses that had changed suddenly and considerably. This is something we will return to in the next edition of The Lamp

All private health sector employers need committed, motivated, highly skilled nurses. They are pivotal not only to deliver high-quality care for patients, but also to the commercial brand of these companies.

I will say it again: nurses have choices.

Which brings us to the public health system. As The Lamp goes to print, our public health system branches are voting on the 2023 pay and conditions offer.

Negotiations have been tough and we have achieved some benefits on top of the ratios commitments that should be enshrined in a Memorandum of Understanding which we are currently working on with the government.

The MOU will be enforceable and, as in aged care, our job will be to hold the government to account. It is a significant milestone on our journey to building a sustainable public health system.

The government’s final pay offer of four per cent won’t be enough to attract or retain nurses and midwives, especially as competition for these staff will accelerate in other sectors.

Our short-term response was determined by your vote.

But the medium- and long-term goals will be to convince the government and its treasury of the imperative to invest in the public health system and its workforce.

The government’s pay offer is for one year. We will not stop until we achieve our objectives.