RHH Nurses and Midwives Take Strike Action

WHAT: ANMF Media Call
WHERE: Royal Hobart Hospital, Campbell Street Entrance
WHEN: Tuesday 6 October
TIME: 2:00pm

Special Note: ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd and ANMF members will be available for media interview

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmania Branch is supporting nurses and midwives at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) today as part of an ongoing campaign by the ANMF calling upon the Tasmanian Government to “Staff Us, Value Us and Protect Us” on behalf of Tasmanian Public Sector Nurses and Midwives while they pursue a replacement Enterprise Agreement through negotiations.

“Nurses and midwives do not take industrial action lightly,” Ms Shepherd said.

“While all steps will be taken to ensure all patients are safe during this strike action, members feel they have been left no other option but to take action to demonstrate how desperately a competitive offer is needed that both values and provides immediate relief to chronic understaffing, violence, aggression and measures to improve the health and wellbeing of members.”

Ms Shepherd said this action follows local ward and unit actions across the State with nurses and midwives wearing campaign materials and also calling on the community to raise their support for Tasmanian Nurses and Midwives with the Premier.

“It comes after EA negotiations failed to produce an offer following months of good faith bargaining between the ANMF and the Department, but the Public Sector Industrial Relations Committee (PSIRC) would not sign off on an offer as the ratio model had not been explicitly stated.”

“The fact is the Government has had four years to develop a mutually agreed ratio model and now due to the Government’s failure to act on this and other agreement matters, our members are now being further disadvantaged.”

Ms Shepherd said nurses and midwives are calling on the Government to provide an offer outside of ongoing ratio negotiations and update the industrial instrument when mutually agreed ratios have been determined.

“Our members have engaged in good faith and put substantial evidence and examples before the lead negotiator, while working in an ever-challenging environment, that is struggling with insufficient capacity and inadequate resources. They just need an offer now.”

The ANMF will continue to support nurses and midwives in their pursuit of an offer from Government with further industrial action planned for the coming week.

-End-

Media contact:
Emily Shepherd, ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary
Mobile: 0400 884 021
Email: Emily.Shepherd@anmftas.org.au