20 November 2007
Queensland nurses join calls for release of suppressed WorkChoices documents
There is a lot at stake for nurses and the health and aged care systems
Abbott already admits pay policy failure in aged care
The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) today called on the Howard-Costello Government to release all policy-options documents, relating to its WorkChoices laws, so Queensland nurses and others can see just what ideas the Howard-Costello Government has up its sleeve if it is re-elected.
The QNU was reacting to yesterday’s decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to suppress secret WorkChoices documents in the possession of the Howard Government.
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said WorkChoices has serious implications for the nursing workforce, which is mostly a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week workforce.
“Because nursing is an around-the-clock job, it relies on shift and penalty rates and a range of allowances to keep the roster safely staffed. WorkChoices places all of that at risk and we cannot afford to lose any nurses because employers, who do not see the bigger social picture, start meddling with their pay and conditions,” Ms Hawksworth said.
“The Howard Government has already imposed a low-wage culture on the aged care sector and WorkChoices only reinforces the problem. As recently as last week, the Health and Ageing Minister, Tony Abbott, admitted, on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program (12/11/07), to policy failure in this area:
DAVID KOCH: The problem with old people though, you bring that up because aged care is a real focus but nurses in aged care are paid on average $250 less a week than if they're in the normal health system. Will you bring some equality to that?
TONY ABBOTT: Funnily enough, a couple of budgets back, Kochie, we did actually put more money into aged care specifically earmarked for higher pay for nurses. In the end it is up to the particular institutions what they pay and unfortunately many of them chose to do other things with that money.
MELISSA DOYLE: So if the money's earmarked for something, you have no control over how they're spending it?
TONY ABBOTT: Well we're not the employer.
MELISSA DOYLE: No, I know that but if you're money purse. If you're giving them the cash and say spend it on this, you've got no control over it.
TONY ABBOTT: No, well we give them the cash and say spend it on aged care and as long as they meet certain accreditation standards that's really all we are - as long as they have the places and they meet the quality standards, that's what we ask. We did put more money in, in the hope that there would be some improvement in pay but there hasn't been much closing of that gap.
DAVID KOCH: See, that's bad.
“It sure is bad. Federal money allocated for nurses has not been spent on nurses and Tony Abbott doesn’t seem to care.
“It shows how easily our aged care and health systems can be derailed by funding and IR policies such as those adopted by the Howard Government. The consequences for nursing and healthcare will be horrendous.
“We do know that the Howard Government has sought advice on subjecting Queensland public hospital nurses to its unfair IR laws. It also wants to re-introduce local hospital boards, to employ doctors and nurses. Will they have the same free reign with money as the aged care employers? On Tony Abbott’s own admission, that policy has already failed aged care nurses.
“That is why we have a right to see, prior to the election, just what else the Howard Government has up its sleeve or hidden in the bottom draw when it comes to WorkChoices. It should release all the industrial relations policy options in its possession ahead of Saturday’s election,” Ms Hawksworth said.
The QNU is the State’s largest health union with over 35,000 members working in every hospital, health facility and nursing home in Queensland.
The Howard Government’s
low wage culture - aged care is proof
Current Queensland nurse pay rates
(Average base weekly rates as at September 07)
Aged care RNs, on average,
nearly $200.00 per week behind
|
CLASSIFICATION |
PUBLIC HOSPITALS
|
PRIVATE HOSPITALS
(Now under WorkChoices) |
AGED CARE
(Federally funded and also now under WorkChoices) |
|
Assistant in Nursing
4th Year (or equivalent) |
$745.70 |
$660.94 |
$642.72
(- $101.98) |
|
Enrolled Nurse
5th year (or equivalent) |
$815.64 |
$815.05 |
$748.80
(- $66.84) |
|
Registered Nurse
8th year (or equivalent) |
$1148.34 |
$1124.55 |
$952.76
(- $195.58) |
7 November 2007
Nurses to confront Vasta and Hardgrave in Brisbane today over Howard’s low wage culture for nurses
1. Aged care proves Howard Govt is about lower wages
2. WorkChoices is also a major threat to health & aged care services
Two delegations of nurses, representing thousands of Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) members across Brisbane, will go to the Liberal Member for Moreton, Gary Hardgrave’s, and the Liberal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta’s, electorate offices this morning (7 November) to highlight how the Howard Government’s WorkChoices and aged care funding policies are holding down nurses wages in local aged care facilities.
Brisbane nurses delegation details
Date: Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Time: 10.00am
Venues
Member for Moreton, Gary Hardgrave’s, office
Suite 106, Sunnybank Times Square, 250 McCullough St, Sunnybank
Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta’s, office
69 Clara Street, Wynnum
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said the delegations will highlight the negative impact of the Howard Government’s industrial relations laws (so-called WorkChoices) on local aged care nurses and services.
“It will also remind all workers that, despite the rhetoric and expensive taxpayer-funded advertising from the Howard Government, the Howard Government’s funding policies and IR laws are about holding down the pay and entitlements of working people.
“Unfortunately, aged care nursing is proof of this fact. The Howard Government funds aged care, regulates how that funding is spent and now also controls the IR laws that cover the vast majority of nurses working in aged care facilities.
“As the following table shows aged care nurses, working under Howard Government rules, are paid a lot less than public hospital nurses. That is what all nurses and other workers face if WorkChoices is given a green light on November 24.
“Everyone, especially nurses, should have a close look at these figures before they vote on November 24. If the Howard Government is re-elected and WorkChoices gets the green light, it will be an endorsement of the low wage culture experienced by aged care nurses,” Ms Hawksworth said.
The Howard Government’s
low wage culture - aged care is proof
Current Queensland nurse pay rates
(Average base weekly rates as at September 07)
Aged care RNs, on average,
nearly $200.00 per week behind
|
CLASSIFICATION |
PUBLIC HOSPITALS
|
PRIVATE HOSPITALS
(Now under WorkChoices) |
AGED CARE
(Federally funded and also now under WorkChoices) |
|
Assistant in Nursing
4th Year (or equivalent) |
$745.70 |
$660.94 |
$642.72
(- $101.98) |
|
Enrolled Nurse
5th year (or equivalent) |
$815.64 |
$815.05 |
$748.80
(- $66.84) |
|
Registered Nurse
8th year (or equivalent) |
$1148.34 |
$1124.55 |
$952.76
(- $195.58) |
“WorkChoices covers more than 100,000 aged care, private hospital, private practice and public hospital nurses around the country. And the Howard Government is now seeking advice on having all public hospital nurses covered by WorkChoices,” Ms Hawksworth said.
“The Howard Government’s policies have already created a serious staffing problem in aged care. WorkChoices will only make things much worse if it stays in place after the next election. Most private hospital and aged care employers are being careful ahead of the election. However, they will not be so reticent if the Howard Government is re-elected and WorkChoices stays in place.
“Some private employers are already refusing to talk to us or bargain even though the nurses want their union involved in negotiations. There have also been a number of recent attempts to impose non-union collective agreements on aged care and private hospital nurses, despite the fact that the majority of nurses in those facilities want a union collective agreement. WorkChoices allows employers to get away with this type of unilateral, selfish behaviour.
“If WorkChoices is endorsed at the federal election many of the vital rights and entitlements of aged care nurses, including their overtime and shift penalty rates, will be up for grabs - and at the whim of the employer. When that occurs the consequences for nurse recruitment and retention and health and aged care services will be horrendous.
“If WorkChoices is given the green light at the next election health and aged care services across Brisbane face a very difficult and uncertain future. Today’s delegations to Mr Hardgrave’s and Mr Vasta’s offices will be making that point,” Ms Hawksworth said.
7 November 2007
Nurses to confront Cameron Thompson in Ipswich today over Howard’s low wage culture for nurses
1. Aged care proves Howard Govt is about lower wages
2. WorkChoices is also a major threat to Ipswich health & aged care services
A delegation of Ipswich nurses, representing hundreds of Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) members across the Ipswich region, will go to the Liberal Member for Blair, Cameron Thompson’s, electorate office this morning (7 November) to highlight how the Howard Government’s WorkChoices and aged care funding policies are holding down nurses wages in local aged care facilities.
Ipswich nurses delegation details
Date: Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Time: 10.00am
Venue
Member for Blair, Cameron Thompson’s, office
Shop 28, Brassall Shopping Centre, Hunter Street, Brassall
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said the delegation will highlight the negative impact of the Howard Government’s industrial relations laws (so-called WorkChoices) on local aged care nurses and services.
“It will also remind all workers that, despite the rhetoric and expensive taxpayer-funded advertising from the Howard Government, the Howard Government’s funding policies and IR laws are about holding down the pay and entitlements of working people.
“Unfortunately, aged care nursing is proof of this fact. The Howard Government funds aged care, regulates how that funding is spent and now also controls the IR laws that cover the vast majority of nurses working in aged care facilities.
“As the following table shows aged care nurses, working under Howard Government rules, are paid a lot less than public hospital nurses. That is what all nurses and other workers face if WorkChoices is given a green light on November 24.
“Everyone, especially nurses, should have a close look at these figures before they vote on November 24. If the Howard Government is re-elected and WorkChoices gets the green light, it will be an endorsement of the low wage culture experienced by aged care nurses,” Ms Hawksworth said.
The Howard Government’s
low wage culture - aged care is proof
Current Queensland nurse pay rates
(Average base weekly rates as at September 07)
Aged care RNs, on average,
nearly $200.00 per week behind
|
CLASSIFICATION |
PUBLIC HOSPITALS
|
PRIVATE HOSPITALS
(Now under WorkChoices) |
AGED CARE
(Federally funded and also now under WorkChoices) |
|
Assistant in Nursing
4th Year (or equivalent) |
$745.70 |
$660.94 |
$642.72
(- $101.98) |
|
Enrolled Nurse
5th year (or equivalent) |
$815.64 |
$815.05 |
$748.80
(- $66.84) |
|
|
