Media Release from ANMF (Tas Branch) ... NURSES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN READY TO NEGOTIATE! The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Tasmanian Branch welcomes Legislative Council adjournment and subsequent withdrawal of the Crown Employees (Salaries) Bill 2014 Branch Secretary, Mrs Neroli Ellis said “The fair process of ANMF members negotiating wages and conditions with the Government will be upheld. The ANMF is about to start negotiations for a new agreement and it will give us an opportunity to be able to negotiate an acceptable outcome for ANMF members. It will also continue to enable ANMF member’s disputes be decided by an independent umpire, the Tasmanian Industrial Commission”. Having comparable wages and conditions with Tasmanian private sector and interstate will enable the retention and recruitment of nurses and midwives to provide safe patient care and optimum health outcomes for Tasmanians. “Currently we have difficulty in recruiting and retaining nurses and midwives especially in the speciality areas for example Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Mental Health. Nurses and midwives are working increasing numbers of unsustainable double shifts with over 266 worked at the RHH last month alone. This is not good for patient care, the nurse’s health or the bottom line.” said Mrs Ellis. The ANMF has made yearly submissions for the state budget. The ANMF has identified cost saving and efficiencies which will offset the budget cuts for health in the ANMF Log of Claim for a new agreement for nurses and midwives. “One of the areas where ANMF has identified saving is in double shifts. The government is able to save $7.35 million by reducing double shifts. Reducing double shift will reduce the potential for adverse effects, optimise safe patient care and will provide a safe working environment for nurses and midwives. Additionally, this equates to the savings proposed by freezing wages and year of service progression for nurses and midwives”. “ANMF (Tas Branch) is prepared to sit down with the Government at any time to negotiate in the best interests to enable an acceptable outcome to meet all needs.”
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 05:07:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015