The Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) has launched hard-hitting new television advertisements across Queensland, which outline the negative impact of the Howard Government’s industrial relations laws (so-called WorkChoices) on aged care nurses and services.
The WorkChoices laws now cover nurses in private aged care facilities, private hospitals and private practices across the State. The Howard Government is now also seeking advice on bringing all State government employees, including public hospital nurses in Queensland, under WorkChoices.
The advertisements started last night (Sunday, 16 September) and the campaign continues for two weeks on channels Seven, Nine (and Win) and Ten in Brisbane and all regions of the State.
QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said it is outrageous that the Prime Minister, John Howard, and his Workplace Relations minister, Joe Hockey, continue to try to create the impression that WorkChoices has little impact on nurses.
“WorkChoices covers more than 100,000 aged care, private hospital, private practice and public hospital nurses around the country already. And the Howard Government is now seeking advice on having all public hospital nurses covered by WorkChoices. These new advertisements will strongly drive home the message that WorkChoices puts the nursing profession and health and aged care services at risk,” Ms Hawksworth said.
“The Howard Government’s aged care policies have already created a serious staffing problem in aged care and the latest survey of more than 1000 aged care nurses in NSW confirms the extent of the crisis (see executive summary attached). The findings reflect the findings of similar surveys in Queensland in recent years. WorkChoices, which now covers the vast majority of private hospital and aged care nurses in Queensland, 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. The capacity and quality of these vital services is what is at stake. As report after report has shown, the aged care nursing workforce is already in serious trouble because of heavy workloads, lower pay and sicker residents.
“The latest survey of more than 1000 registered and enrolled nurses in aged care, analysed for the NSWNA by the University of Sydney, indicates that up to half of all registered nurses in aged care are responsible for more than 40 residents each. Some are even responsible for more than 100 each. One RN indicated she/he was responsible for 180 residents on a night shift. Things are similar in Queensland.
“It is clear we cannot afford to lose any more nurses because employers, who do not see the bigger social picture, start meddling with their pay and conditions. The excessive power health and aged care employers get from WorkChoices is not in the community’s interest.
“Our health and aged care systems need an industrial relations system that gives nurses the capacity to defend and enhance entitlements, which are vital to maintaining the profession as an attractive career option. WorkChoices does not do that. The Federal Government’s current funding mechanisms encourage employers to improve their bottom line at the expense of aged care nurses’ pay and conditions.
“If WorkChoices is given the green light at the next election health and aged care services across Queensland face a very difficult and uncertain future. This advertising campaign is about making sure everyone is aware of that,” 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.
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