Breaking: Nurses and Midwives Across Tasmania State Service to Take Industrial Action

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Tasmanian Branch today announced it has provided notice to the Department of Health of Statewide Industrial Action across the entire public sector will commence, Monday, August 20.

Nurses, Midwives and Assistants in Nursing will commence the industrial action from 7am on Monday due to unrelenting unreasonable workloads, lack of resources and untenable working conditions.

ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said the action will include members working to rule, wearing campaign materials, reporting on staffing levels, speaking to media and providing concerned patients and their family members resources on how to escalate their concerns regarding the Tasmanian Health system.

“Importantly, members will be sharing their stories with the media,” Ms Shepherd said.

“It is regrettable that members have been driven to taking industrial action due to a chronic lack of action by the Tasmanian Government.

“Our members care deeply about their patients, clients and the community and their desire to be able to provide safe and quality care is being hampered by the unreasonable expectation of the Government to continue to deliver existing and additional services with insufficient staffing levels and resources.”

Ms Shepherd said the ANMF will continue to support members in their industrial action for as long as it takes to get the commitments and implementation of the resources our members need to safely deliver patient care and will support escalation of these concerns if they are not heeded by Government.

“This action comes after zero additional resources have been allocated to the State’s Emergency Departments following the Government banning ramping which has just transferred the workload behind close doors into Eds.

“It has done nothing to address the majority of ward and units across the State having to continue business as usual service delivery without minimum safe staffing levels all the while members are putting their own health and wellbeing on the line in completing constant overtime and double shifts, which are at an all-time high.

“Make no mistake, safe hospitals save lives and the ANMF will continue to advocate for this with our members as ultimately they are the ones at the bedside in the Ed’s grappling with providing safe care in untenable environments on a daily basis.”