QNU seeks injunction agaisnt nursing care cuts at RSL war veterans homes - final hearing day
QNU seeks injunction against nursing care cuts at RSL war veterans homes - hearing adjourned
QNU seeks urgent injunction against nursing care cuts at RSL war veterans homes
16 October 2003
QNU seeks injunction against nursing-care cuts at RSL war veterans homes – hearing to finish today
RSL plans to slash staffing levels at three Qld nursing homes this week
More than 3000 care hours (equivalent to 40 full-time staff) to go across six homes
Nurses speak out about impact
The Queensland Nurses Union’s (QNU) application for an interim injunction in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC), preventing RSL Care going ahead with proposed staffing cuts at six of its war veterans aged care facilities in Queensland, was adjourned again late last night and is scheduled to resume before Commissioner Ingrid Asbury at 10.00am this morning (16 October).
Between 10.00am and 11.00am QNU counsel, Ms Judith Bornstein, will finish her reply to RSL Care’s submissions. Comments from Commissioner Asbury, when adjourning the hearing last night, indicate a decision is likely before 1.00pm today.
Details of today’s resumed injunction hearing
Date: Thursday 16 October 2003
Time: 10.00am
Venue: Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Central Plaza Two, 66 Eagle St Brisbane
During recent enterprise bargaining negotiations RSL Care advised the QNU that it intended making significant staffing cuts at five of its war veterans homes – Pinjarra Hills, Caboolture, Galleon Gardens at Currumbin, Carrington at Parkinson and Treetops at New Farm. It has since added its facility at Murrumba Downs to the list.
On September 16 the QIRC issued a one month injunction to compel compliance with, and prevent a contravention of, the Nurses Aged Care Award – State 2003, by the RSL, in respect of various clauses dealing with hours of work and roster changes that impose cuts to hours.
That injunction was due to expire at 12.00noon yesterday (15 October) and, unless restrained by the QIRC, RSL Care intends going ahead with the staffing cuts. The latest proposed hours cuts for each facility are as follows:
- Currumbin - propose to cut 646 hours (per fortnight) from 15 October 2003
- Caboolture -149.5 hours from15 October 2003
- Parkinson - 591.5 hours from 15 October 2003
- Pinjarra Hills - 680 hours from 22 October 2003
- New Farm - 724 hours from 22 October 2003
- Murrumba Downs - 275.5 hours from 22 October 2003
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said these staffing cuts are totally unacceptable, especially in facilities where nursing workloads are already high, and she again slammed the RSL for squeezing resident care into an arbitrary financial plan.
“For some years now RSL Care has tried to impose a wages upper limit of as little as about 70 per cent of total expenses for its nursing homes and hostels, which ought to have as their core objective the delivery of quality aged care services not the meeting of arbitrary business plans.
“These staffing cuts are about making these facilities meet these financial benchmarks, irrespective of the impact on staff workloads and resident care. This is an unacceptable way to run this sector, but current Federal Government policies allow nursing home operators to get away with it.
“This application for another interim injunction is aimed at stopping them going ahead, especially those cuts that are scheduled to start this week,” Ms Hawksworth said.
RSL Care also runs war veterans homes at Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Sunnybank Hills, Toowoomba and Townsville. The RSL’s staffing proposals for these eight facilities are still unclear.
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14 October 2003 – 8.30pm
QNU seeks injunction against nursing-care cuts at RSL war veterans homes – hearing adjourned
RSL plans to slash staffing levels at three Qld nursing homes from tomorrow
More than 3000 care hours (equivalent to 40 full-time staff) to go across six homes
Nurses speak out about impact
The Queensland Nurses Union’s (QNU) application for an interim injunction in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC), preventing RSL Care going ahead with proposed staffing cuts at six of its war veterans aged care facilities in Queensland, was adjourned this evening and is scheduled to resume before Commissioner Ingrid Asbury at 8.30am tomorrow morning (15 October).
Details of tomorrow’s resumed injunction hearing
Date: Wednesday 15 October 2003
Time: 8.30am
Venue: Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Central Plaza Two, 66 Eagle St Brisbane
During recent enterprise bargaining negotiations RSL Care advised the QNU that it intended making significant staffing cuts at five of its war veterans homes – Pinjarra Hills, Caboolture, Galleon Gardens at Currumbin, Carrington at Parkinson and Treetops at New Farm. It has since added its facility at Murrumba Downs to the list.
On September 16 the QIRC issued a one month injunction to compel compliance with, and prevent a contravention of, the Nurses Aged Care Award – State 2003, by the RSL, in respect of various clauses dealing with hours of work and roster changes, which impose cuts to hours.
That injunction is due to expire at 12.00noon tomorrow (15 October) and, unless restrained by the QIRC, RSL Care intends going ahead with the staffing cuts. The latest proposed hours cuts for each facility are as follows:
- Currumbin - propose to cut 646 hours (per fortnight) from 15 October 2003
- Caboolture -149.5 hours from15 October 2003
- Parkinson - 591.5 hours from 15 October 2003
- Pinjarra Hills - 680 hours from 22 October 2003
- New Farm - 724 hours from 22 October 2003
- Murrumba Downs - 275.5 hours from 22 October 2003
Total - 3066.5 hours (or nearly 40 full-time-equivalent staff per week)
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said these staffing cuts are totally unacceptable, especially in facilities where nursing workloads are already high, and she again slammed the RSL for squeezing resident care into an arbitrary financial plan.
“For some years now RSL Care has tried to impose a wages upper limit of as little as about 70 per cent of total expenses for its nursing homes and hostels, which ought to have as their core objective the delivery of quality aged care services not the meeting of arbitrary business plans.
“These staffing cuts are about making these facilities meet these financial benchmarks, irrespective of the impact on staff workloads and resident care. This is an unacceptable way to run this sector, but current Federal Government policies allow nursing home operators to get away with it.
“This application for another interim injunction is aimed at stopping them going ahead, especially those cuts that are scheduled to start tomorrow,” Ms Hawksworth said.
RSL Care also runs war veterans homes at Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Sunnybank Hills, Toowoomba and Townsville. The RSL’s staffing proposals for these eight facilities are still unclear.
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14 October 2003
QNU seeks urgent injunction against nursing-care cuts at RSL war veterans homes
RSL plans to slash staffing levels at three Qld nursing homes from tomorrow
More than 3000 care hours (equivalent to 40 full-time staff) to go across six homes
The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) will seek an interim injunction in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) this afternoon (October 14) preventing RSL Care going ahead with proposed staffing cuts at six of its war veterans aged care facilities in Queensland.
Details of this afternoon’s injunction hearing
Date: Tuesday 14 October 2003
Time: 2.00pm
Venue: Queensland Industrial Relations Commission, Central Plaza Two, 66 Eagle St Brisbane
During recent enterprise bargaining negotiations RSL Care advised the QNU that it intended making significant staffing cuts at five of its war veterans homes – Pinjarra Hills, Caboolture, Galleon Gardens at Currumbin, Carrington at Parkinson and Treetops at New Farm. It has since added its facility at Murrumba Downs to the list.
On September 16 the QIRC issued a one month injunction to compel compliance with, and prevent a contravention of, the Nurses Aged Care Award – State 2003, by the RSL, in respect of various clauses dealing with hours of work and roster changes, which impose cuts to hours.
That injunction is due to expire and RSL Care intends going ahead with the staffing cuts from tomorrow. The latest proposed hours cuts for each facility are as follows:
- Currumbin - propose to cut 646 hours (per fortnight) from 15 October 2003
- Caboolture -149.5 hours from15 October 2003
- Parkinson - 591.5 hours from 15 October 2003
- Pinjarra Hills - 680 hours from 22 October 2003
- New Farm - 724 hours from 22 October 2003
- Murrumba Downs - 275.5 hours from 22 October 2003
Total - 3066.5 hours (or nearly 40 full-time-equivalent staff per week)
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said these staffing cuts are totally unacceptable, especially in facilities where nursing workloads are already high, and she again slammed the RSL for squeezing resident care into an arbitrary financial plan.
“For some years now RSL Care has tried to impose a wages upper limit of as little as about 70 per cent of total expenses for its nursing homes and hostels, which ought to have as their core objective the delivery of quality aged care services not the meeting of arbitrary business plans.
“These staffing cuts are about making these facilities meet these financial benchmarks, irrespective of the impact on staff workloads and resident care. This is an unacceptable way to run this sector, but current Federal Government policies allow nursing home operators to get away with it.
“Today’s application for another interim injunction is aimed at stopping them going ahead, especially those cuts that are scheduled to start tomorrow,” Ms Hawksworth said.
RSL Care also runs war veterans homes at Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Sunnybank Hills, Toowoomba and Townsville. The RSL’s staffing proposals for these eight facilities are still unclear.
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