Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Vic: Royal District Nursing Service nurses and care aides to stop work for fair pay

Tuesday 16 August 2016

Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) nurses and community care aides are holding four two-hour stop work meetings this week as part of their protected industrial action to secure improved pay and stop the removal of benefits.The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement with RDNS management since May. The current agreement expired on 1 June 2016.

Talks reached a stalemate this month with RDNS management pushing through a formal employee ballot of its proposed agreement which included inadequate wage rises and the removal of financial benefits. RDNS nurses and community care aides voted to reject the agreement in the ballot which closed on Wednesday, 10 August.

The rejected offer was a two-year agreement with wage rises of between 1.71 and 2.3 per cent in 2016 and 2.5 per cent in 2017. RDNS claimed the increase was higher but neglected to clarify it included the roll in of an existing allowance.

ANMF (Vic Branch) is available to return to the negotiating table any day this week.

RDNS nurses started taking protected industrial action last Thursday which included wearing their red #ValueRecogniseReward campaign T-shirts at work and distributing campaign information to RDNS clients.

The first of four two-hour stop work meetings outside each of the RDNS regional hub offices was held on Monday 15 August. Administrative bans also started yesterday and will impact on RDNS’s ability to invoice its clients.

ANMF is seeking a four-year agreement with the roll in of the CPD allowance in the first year and then a three per cent wage increase on top, and yearly increases to match the public sector nurses’ and midwives’ including the 2019 significant uplift of up to 20 per cent.

ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said: “Nurses are taking protected industrial action as a last resort to send a strong message to their employer that they cannot be taken for granted. RDNS clients may experience some temporary inconvenience, but their welfare and safety will not be compromised during this action.

“It’s really important that RDNS comes back to the negotiating table and offers wages comparable to the public sector nurses’ and midwives’ wages outcome which is also being matched in the private acute hospital sector. Management’s wage offer was disrespectful and would have made it difficult for this iconic district nursing service to recruit and attract experienced nurses to care for clients.

“While majority of RDNS funding comes from the state and federal governments, this dispute is about a private operator squeezing taxpayer money for profit at the expense of its dedicated nurses and ultimately its ability to remain competitive.”

Media are invited to attend the stop work meetings:

Monday 15 August 2016, 2-4pm RDNS Northern Office, 30 Janefield Drive, Bundoora
Tuesday 16 August 2016, 2-4pm RDNS Southern Office, 973 Nepean Hwy, Bentleigh Wednesday 17 August 2016, 2-4pm RDNS Western Office, 213-279 Robinsons Road, Ravenhall Thursday 18 August 2016, 2-4pm RDNS Eastern Office, 841 Mountain Highway, Bayswater

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