23 June 2008

Nurses congratulate Rosemary Bryant on becoming Australia’s first Chief Nurse

The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) today warmly welcomed Rosemary Bryant to the position of National Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer.

Ged Kearney, ANF federal secretary said that the Australian government’s announcement of the appointment was great news for nurses.

“Throughout her extensive and significant career, Rosemary Bryant has worked to maintain and develop excellence in nursing. She is a great choice for the position, Australia’s nurses will benefit from this appointment.” Ms Kearney said.

The ANF looks forward to continuing their strong relationship with Rosemary, working together on issues that are vital to Australia’s nurses and the reform of health care.

“Nursing plays a role in so many of the Government’s programs it is essential there is a nursing representative at a senior level in government to provide input and ensure quality health care is accessible to all people and families.”

“It is also important for Australia to be officially represented in international nursing forums by their Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer,” Ms Kearney said.

The ANF anticipates the appointment will facilitate greater nursing input to the current health reform process.

“Nurses have been lobbying strongly for health reform for many years,” Ms Kearney said. “Nurses comprise over 50% of the health workforce in Australia working across all sectors; the community, hospitals and aged care, so it is essential they are represented at a national level.” 

The ANF warmly congratulates Rosemary Bryant on her appointment.

3 June 2008

NSW nurses pay and conditions campaign update

Today’s NSWNA council decision

The NSW Nurses Association (NSWNA) council this afternoon (3 June) passed the following resolution, in response to the NSW Government’s failure to meet yesterday’s (2 June) NSWNA deadline to make a suitable pay and conditions offer to the 42,000 nurses and midwives working in the State’s public health system:

“Having discussed the campaign status and recognising that an offer is expected from the Government this week, Council resolves to convene urgently by teleconference once an offer is received to consider that offer and make any necessary recommendations to NSWNA Branches.”

The NSWNA council is the NSWNA’s governing body, which ordinarily meets monthly to direct the Association’s affairs. It is elected by the NSWNA membership every four years and includes nurses and midwives from across the State and every major healthcare sector.

NSWNA general secretary, Brett Holmes, said that if an offer is received this week, the NSWNA council will recommend branches across the State convene an urgent meeting, between 10 and12 June, at which NSWNA members discuss and vote on a draft resolution, which contains council’s recommendation on the acceptability of the offer and any future campaign activities.

“Should no offer be provided by the State Government by Thursday, council will still meet and recommend branches meet next week to consider future campaign activities. The nurses and midwives of NSW have been waiting long enough for a response to their log of claims,” Mr Holmes said.

The decision to impose the 2 June deadline was taken at the NSWNA’s bimonthly Committee of Delegates meeting in Sydney on May 20, which was attended by a massive 237 delegates from hospitals, community health services and aged care facilities around the State.

The delegates also authorised the NSWNA council to decide on further campaign activities if the State Government did not meet that deadline.

On February 15 this year, as part of its Fair conditions. Fair pay. Nurses stay: It’s that simple campaign, the NSWNA provided NSW Health with a log of claims for a new wages and conditions agreement to replace the current agreement, which expires on June 30.

The main features of the claim are:

·          a new four year wages and conditions agreement with NSW Health, to take effect after the current agreement expires on June 30, 2008;

·          a five per cent per year pay rise for all public hospital and community health nurses and midwives, with the first rise taking effect in July 2008;

·          a new Level 2 classification for nurses and midwives who have more than seven years experience and who are working permanent full-time or permanent part-time – the pay rate being sought, before the five per cent general pay rise is applied, is 3.8 per cent above the current Registered Nurse Year 8 rate;

·          a similar 3.8 per cent rise, to maintain pay relativities, for all permanent employees in classifications above the new Level 2;

·          a new classification at higher pay for experienced enrolled nurses;

·          an increase in the penalty loading for night work from 15 per cent to 25 per cent;

·          a one per cent increase, per year of the agreement, in employer superannuation contributions – taking the current rate from nine per cent to 13 per cent;

·          making it easier for casual and temporary employees to convert to permanent positions; and

·          225 extra Clinical Nurse Educators, to provide more support for junior staff and new graduates.

As part of the Fair conditions. Fair pay. Nurses stay: It’s that simple campaign, the NSWNA is also running a $1.6 million advertising campaign across the State, seeking community support for State Government action to improve the pay and conditions of nurses. Part Two of that campaign has started.

2 June 2008

Housing affordability does have serious implications for health and other community services

Housing affordability does have serious implications for health and other community services, such as aged care, because the capacity of nurses to afford housing in a given region impacts on the recruitment of nurses to that region, the Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) said today.

The QNU was responding to the inaugural BankWest Key Worker Housing Affordability Report, which was released today.

The report shows that, of the five key worker categories measured, nurses face the greatest housing affordability difficulties.

In 2007 there were no Local Government Areas (LGAs) in southeast Queensland where the median house price was affordable for the typical nurse. Twelve out of 13 regional cities in Queensland were also now unaffordable for the typical nurse. (See tables from report attached.)

QNU secretary, Gay Hawksworth, said these figures show how difficult it is getting for many wage and salary earners, in vital social jobs such as nursing, to afford the great Australian dream of owning their own home.

“It has been a growing problem around Brisbane and the southeast for some time. However, it is clear the problem now extends across the State and we cannot ignore it any longer.

“As the report says:

Key workers are an essential part of the make-up of any community. By the nature of their occupations, key workers need to live close to their workplaces. The continued rise in house prices across Australia means that it is now not possible for many key workers to buy a house near their workplace or, in many capital cities, even climb onto the housing ladder at all. This has serious implications for policy makers and the wider community.

“And the problem doesn’t only affect public hospitals and health services. Most aged care nurses earn less than their public hospital colleagues, whose average earnings were used for the report. So the affordability crisis is even worse for them.

“The aged care sector, which is already struggling to attract and retain nurses, will find it even harder in many parts of the State.

“So this is a timely report and the QNU welcomes the attention now being paid to this issue. It is important we now find solutions through such things as improved wages and recruitment and retention incentives,” Ms Hawksworth said.

Table 1 – Affordability for key workers of LGAs in Brisbane in 2007

(Unaffordable is a median house price to pay ratio of 5 or greater)

Table 2 –Unaffordable LGAs for key workers in regional Queensland