Nurses stop work over pay-rise cap

NURSES from the Launceston General Hospital took industrial action in support of an enterprise agreement being negotiated with the State Government yesterday.

It follows a stop work meeting at the Royal Hobart Hospital the previous Friday.

ANMF Tasmanian branch secretary Emily Shepherd said the current enterprise agreement expired on June 30.

“Despite ongoing negotiations, no agreement has been reached and no acceptable offer has been put to members,” she said.

“The Government are refusing to negotiate on the 2 per cent wage cap. This refusal would see the retention and recruitment of Tasmanian nurses and midwives severely impacted and ultimately have them as the worst paid nurses in the country by 2019.”

The stop work comes on top of ongoing industrial action about conditions in the LGH emergency department.

“The Launceston General Hospital is the worst performing regional hospital in the nation. Nurses and midwives working here, particularly those in the emergency department, are constantly dealing with an over capacity ED and lack of inpatient beds.

“The continued delivery of safe patient care is a testament to the goodwill of nurses and midwives at the hospital,” Ms Shepherd said. “The Tasmanian Government are not providing an appropriate level of resources and they are refusing to negotiate a competitive package to assist with recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives in the state.”