22 November 2005
St Vincent’s Toowoomba nurses to stop work again today
Industrial action to continue until better pay offer is made
Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) members at the St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Toowoomba, will stop work again today (22 November) as part of their ongoing campaign for equal pay with public hospital nurses.
This is their fourth stop work meeting this month. Four weeks ago nurses at St Vincent’s also implemented an extensive list of work bans as part of the campaign. In the past few weeks those work bans have been increased.
Today’s (22 November) stop work meeting details
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Venue: hospital entrance
Background information
St Vincent’s management has made no new pay offer to its nurses since the start of industrial action
St Vincent’s nurse wages are already behind public hospital rates, however St Vincent’s is only offering a three per cent annual rise while the State Government is offering an interim four per cent rise to public hospital nurses.
If this arrangement goes ahead the vast majority of general ward nurses – Registered Nurses Level 1 Year 8 - at St Vincent’s will be earning 6.2 per cent less (more than $60.00 per week or $3000.00 per year) than their counterparts at the Toowoomba Base Hospital who are doing the same job.
St Vincent’s, Toowoomba, is a 198-bed facility, it currently employs about 400 nurses and its previous enterprise bargaining agreement expired on 31 December 2004.
17 November 2005
Mount Olivet and St Vincent’s Toowoomba nurses to stop work again - Industrial action to continue until better pay offers are made
Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) members at the Mount Olivet Private Hospital at Kangaroo Point and St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Toowoomba, will stop work today (17 November) as part of their ongoing campaign for equal pay with public hospital nurses.
Both hospitals are operated by the Sisters of Charity. Three weeks ago nurses at the two hospitals implemented an extensive list of work bans as part of the campaign. In the past few weeks those work bans have been increased.
Today’s (17 November) stop work meeting details
Mount Olivet
Time: 7.00am – 8.30am
Venue: Mount Olivet main entrance, Main Street Kangaroo Point
St Vincent’s Toowoomba
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Venue: hospital entrance
Background information on Mount Olivet issues
The vast majority of general ward nurses – Registered Nurses Level 1 Year 8 - at Mount Olivet are currently earning nine per cent less (more than $80.00 per week or $4000.00 per year) than their counterparts at nearby public hospitals, including the Mater Public, Royal Brisbane and Princess Alexandra hospitals, who are doing the same job.
If the interim four per cent rise being offered by the State Government is agreed to by public sector nurses then this gap will grow to 13.5 per cent or more than $122.00 per week (more than $6000.00 per year) for a full-time nurse.
In response to the ongoing nurses campaign, Mount Olivet management has now offered a two per cent rise from April 2005, four per cent from 1 October 2005 and another five per cent from 1 July 2006.
However, acceptance of this offer would still leave Mount Olivet nurses well behind the public sector and once extra public sector rises start flowing through next year it will lead to them again being amongst the worst paid hospital nurses in Queensland.
The poor pay rates are creating serious recruitment and retention problems at the hospital. A severe shortage of nurses has already forced the closure of an entire floor of 29 beds for interim aged care patients. The hospital will need to recruit another 20 nurses before it can reopen this floor.
Mount Olivet is a 180-bed hospital offering sub-acute medical, palliative care and rehabilitation programs. It currently has about 155 nurses and the previous enterprise agreement expired on 30 September 2004.
Background information on St Vincent’s issues
St Vincent’s management has made no new pay offer to its nurses since the start of industrial action
St Vincent’s nurse wages are already behind public hospital rates, however St Vincent’s is only offering a three per cent annual rise while the State Government is offering an interim four per cent rise to public hospital nurses.
If this arrangement goes ahead the vast majority of general ward nurses – Registered Nurses Level 1 Year 8 - at St Vincent’s will be earning 6.2 per cent less (more than $60.00 per week or $3000.00 per year) than their counterparts at the Toowoomba Base Hospital who are doing the same job.
St Vincent’s, Toowoomba, is a 198-bed facility, it currently employs about 400 nurses and its previous enterprise bargaining agreement expired on 31 December 2004.
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3 November 2005
Mount Olivet and St Vincent’s Toowoomba nurses to stop work again - Pay offers still inadequate
Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) members at the Mount Olivet Private Hospital at Kangaroo Point and St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Toowoomba, will stop work tomorrow (4 November) as part of their ongoing campaign for equal pay with public hospital nurses.
Both hospitals are operated by the Sisters of Charity. Last Thursday nurses at the two hospitals implemented an extensive list of work bans as part of the campaign.
Tomorrow’s (3 November) stop work meeting details
Mount Olivet
Time: 7.15am – 9.15am
Venue: Mount Olivet main entrance, Main Street Kangaroo Point
St Vincent’s Toowoomba
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Venue: hospital entrance
Background information on Mount Olivet issues
The vast majority of general ward nurses – Registered Nurses Level 1 Year 8 - at Mount Olivet are currently earning nine per cent less (more than $80.00 per week or $4000.00 per year) than their counterparts at nearby public hospitals, including the Mater Public, Royal Brisbane and Princess Alexandra hospitals, who are doing the same job.
If the interim four per cent rise being offered by the State Government is agreed to by public sector nurses then this gap will grow to 13.5 per cent or more than $122.00 per week (more than $6000.00 per year) for a full-time nurse.
In response to last week’s stop work meeting and the ongoing nurses campaign, Mount Olivet management has now offered a six per cent rise from 1 October 2005 and another five per cent from 1 July 2006.
However, acceptance of this offer would see the nurses lose a whole year’s pay rise, because the rise is not backdated to the expiration of the previous agreement on 1 October 2004. It also still leaves them well behind the public sector and once extra public sector rise start flowing through next year it will lead to them again being amongst the worst paid hospital nurses in Queensland.
The poor pay rates are creating serious recruitment and retention problems at the hospital. A severe shortage of nurses has already forced the closure of an entire floor of 29 beds for interim aged care patients.
Mount Olivet is a 180-bed hospital offering sub-acute medical, palliative care and rehabilitation programs. It currently has about 155 nurses and the previous enterprise agreement expired on 30 September 2004.
Background information on St Vincent’s issues
St Vincent’s management has made no new offer to its nurses since the start of industrial action last Thursday. Therefore, tomorrow’s stop work meeting will consider imposing other bans and limitations to support and advance the nurses’ claim for better wages.
St Vincent’s nurse wages are already behind public hospital rates, however St Vincent’s is only offering a three per cent annual rise while the State Government is offering an interim four per cent rise from last week to public hospital nurses.
If this arrangement goes ahead the vast majority of general ward nurses – Registered Nurses Level 1 Year 8 - at St Vincent’s will be earning 6.2 per cent less (more than $60.00 per week or $3000.00 per year) than their counterparts at the Toowoomba Base Hospital who are doing the same job.
St Vincent’s, Toowoomba, is a 198-bed facility, it currently employs about 400 nurses and its previous enterprise bargaining agreement expired on 31 December 2004
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