By Jo Obronschka
MELBOURNE — Victorian public sector nurses voted at a mass meeting on August 26 to accept an agreement which includes an 11% wage rise over three years and the creation of 250 extra nursing positions in Victorian hospitals.
The agreement is the outcome of an industrial campaign by the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), started in May. The campaign aimed to force the state government to stop cutting nursing positions in the public sector, halt the attacks on nurses conditions, end heavy workloads and increase pay.
The meeting at Dallas Brookes Hall was packed and the most lively meeting during the entire campaign. While a majority accepted the agreement, some ANF members believe the agreement is not far-reaching enough and "locks" them up for three years. The agreement remains in force until September 30, 2000.
ANF leaders argue that a "safety clause" allows the ANF to have ongoing negotiations with the government about workload matters.
There was concern that the 11% pay rise over three years was not enough, leaving Victorian nurses trailing behind the wage rates of their NSW colleagues. The original claim was for 15%.
There was also some concern raised that staffing levels were not guaranteed under the agreement, nor will the extra positions have enough impact on workloads. The Peninsula Health Care Network, which includes some of the hospitals most ravaged by Kennett's cuts, such as Frankston and Rosebud hospitals, will gain only 11 extra positions.
It was generally felt that the campaign only skimmed the surface when it came to showing the public how little the government cares about having a good and effective, rather than profit-driven, health system.
Despite some problems with the agreement, it has given nurses conditions they have never been entitled to before, such as two weeks' paid maternity leave. This is a paltry amount considering that other government workers (such as police) are entitled to up to three months' paid leave.
Overall, the deal is only a small shot in the arm for nursing care. Some hospitals, particularly those in the Western and Peninsula networks, are likely barely to feel the effects.
The industrial action hasn't stopped in other health areas. On August 26, 80 food services, clerical and cleaning staff at the Preston and Northcote Community Hospital barricaded themselves in the kitchen to protest against the contracting of food services to a private company.
The workers are represented by the Health Services Union of Australia (HSUA) No. 1 branch.
Other health professionals, including psychologists, medical scientists and pathologists, also represented by the HSUA (No. 3 and No. 4 branch), voted on August 27 to impose work bans as part of the union claim for reduced workloads and a wage rise of 15%.