Victorian nurses unprotected industrial action

ceridwyn · Oct 16, 2007

Yes, the lowest paid heh, I get paid 20.70 an hour at our local hospital, after 27 years of nursing experience, cos I went and got a silly nursing degree and became div 1 after being div 2. Silly me. Thanks for your support. I attend to get out asap though waiting for univ offers next year.

talaxandra · Oct 18, 2007

Could I just point out that, since 1992, Victorian nurses have only taken protected action once, so this is not new.

What is different is the new IR laws, which i why I'm apparently not being paid for the night shift I'm currently seven hours into. In fact, last night three nurses on my ward were docked their entire nights' pay (including an agency nurse) because they each had between one and three beds closed.

Still, it shows that this isn't (just) about the money.

nyapa, RN · Oct 18, 2007

We trialled this a few years back. We were told it was illegal so the ANF stopped it. More power to Victoria, esp as they are continuing to do it, despite losing pay :devil:

froghair · Oct 19, 2007

there taking action here were i work and docking peoples pay 100%. it sucks big time. if they dock my pay ill be resigning and moving up north. that will be my big finger to management

BRAGGY · Oct 19, 2007

Yes, the lowest paid heh, I get paid 20.70 an hour at our local hospital, after 27 years of nursing experience, cos I went and got a silly nursing degree and became div 1 after being div 2. Silly me. Thanks for your support. I attend to get out asap though waiting for univ offers next year.

It is quiet interesting following the industrial termoil in Vic and see the inner workings of the black hearted Brumby government in all its glory, desperately trying to open beds and dismiss the nurses pay claim.

There are so many different course in nursing which you can enroll in building your qualifications and service to the community, all of which will cost you money and time, for what reward I ask? Good luck with your Uni next year. It is is nice to be in a job that you are respected valued and rewarded appropriately for you skills, that's why so many nurses like yourself are looking outside of public or private health for job satisfaction.

karynfrances · Oct 21, 2007

Typical of the government, need to see efficiency and productivity gains to warrant a higher increase in wages. I work in Qld and we have full time nurses working overtime shifts, 20 - 40 hours per fortnight sometimes, as we have not got the staff to cover these shifts. What are the governments going to do when we're all burnt out and unable to work. They need to see that to increase productivity and efficiency they need to employ more staff and train more nurses, after all we are providing a service to sick people, not robots manufacturing cars!!

ceridwyn · Oct 23, 2007

Its ok, got the uni offer - Hopefully I will spend 8 months at uni and become primary teacher, by next June, by the time I have worked out the frustrations of that job (but at least I get paid a decent wage for it) it will be time for me to retire.

I am in awe of those working, knowing that they will not get paid, the rest of us (I am in District) thanks you all.

BRAGGY · Oct 25, 2007

That sounds great, and only 8 months at Uni. Good to see that the Victorian nurses got a pay rise but what a struggle

talaxandra · Oct 27, 2007

The government's "productivity gains" were really just face-saving - we pretty much got everything we wanted, a great result and a tribute to the unity and strength of the Victorian nurses!

Graduate nurses jumped two pay grades before the 3.25% is calculated, we kept the ratios, are the only state that outlaws unskilled staff doing nursing work in acute care, got rid of short shifts (no more than one staff member per shift, no fewer than 6 hours, wholly at employee choice), and managed to bypass the IR laws against pattern bargaining so that all nurses in the state are paid the same regardless of where they work.