Industrial Action by the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF): Challenges and Gains - Essay Example

Industrial Action by the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF): Challenges and Gains Introduction The decision to opt for industrial action in pursuit of better wages, improved healthcare systems and better working condition has been a major issue for nurses under the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF), Victorian branch. In most cases, nurses have struggled with the idea of accepting their status as an ordinary workforce while at the same time upholding the professional model which does not embrace the idea of engaging in industrial action (Benner, Chesla and Tanner 2009). For several years, Australian nurses under the auspices of the ANF have engaged the government in extensive industrial action with an aim of improving their professional status, enhancing individual career progress within the profession and increased wages among other issues. Since November 2011, the nurses, psychiatric nurses and midwives of the ANF Victorian branch have undertaken a protected industrial action to oppose the Baillieu administration policy aimed at reducing the number of registered nurses and replacing them with health assistants. The purpose of this paper is to examine the gains and problems encountered by the ANF Victorian nurses following the industrial action. Historical background of the ANF Victoria nurses industrial action The recent industrial action by the ANF Victorian branch nurses, mental health nurses and midwives has created a major standoff between healthcare workers and the Baillieu government. However, the disagreement did not start recently. The issues under controversy began in the 1990’s as a result of the healthcare policies under the Kennett administration which resulted to high departure of nurses due to poor motivation (Budgen 2011.). The situation was further worsened in 2000 following introduction of a nurse to patient ratio of 1 nurse for every four patients which was meant to be legally enforced. At first, this move was considered beneficial by the nurses as it was intended to be accompanied by an increase in wages for the nurses. The proposal for nurse to patient ratio was also believed to be beneficial to various nursing cadres who did no trust the government and were therefore looking for protection against pressure from increased workload (Benner, Chesla and Tanner 2009). The ANF has played a leading role in the struggles by the nurses against a hostile environment and the declining union spirit at the international level. The nurse-patient ratios were viewed as a sign of a common achievement by the nursing workforce that was initially underrated and dominated by female workers. There has a been a protracted struggle between the nursing profession and the government over calls for improved compensation and working conditions, better career structures and protection and improvement of the nursing roles and skills (Bickley 1997).The ANF’s Victorian chapter has been credited for its exemplary role in listening and addressing the concerns voiced by its members while putting the patient interests into consideration. One of the prominent philosophies by the ANF Victoria branch is its opposition to the government policy to replace nurses with lower paid health assistants. Despite the potential gains, the proposed nurse to patient ratio policy created some problems for the nursing profession. One of the major problems emerging from the policy was its improper costing structure which did not reflect interests of the nurses and the patients. The ratios have been viewed as being insensitive to the patient concerns and a major challenge to management as they do not allow managers to exercise their discretion in managerial issues. The ratio policy has also been viewed as a means of frustrating the nursing professionals by assigning their duties to workers who are not trained to serve as nurses in an effort to attain the nurse patient ratio (Strachan 1997.). As a result of such drawbacks, the policy’s outcomes have been counterproductive leading to disagreement between the ANF and the government. The Victorian branch of the ANF nurses; midwives and mental health nursing cadres have been engaged in protected industrial action since November 2011 up to March 2012 in an effort to articulate their grievances to the government. Key issues in the recent Victoria ANF nurses industrial action The recent industrial action by the Victorian nurses, mental health nurses and midwives under the ANF commenced on November 12, 2011. According to the ANF official website, Victorian branch, the protected industrial action was aimed at protecting and improving the nurse/midwife to patient ratio which were faced with the threat of abolishment by the Baillieu’s government (ANF Victoria 2011). The industrial action was intended to guard against the government’s secret move to replace the nurses and midwife professionals with semi-skilled health assistants and reduction in working hours from eight hour to four hour shifts (Asbury 2012). The official website news indicates that the protected industrial action started at seven in the morning and would only be halted by a unanimous vote indicating their acceptance for the government offer during a statewide meeting for the members. The Victoria nurses industrial action was undertaken against the background of an overburdened healthcare. According to Bachelard (2011), the government was determined to achieve its policies against the interests of the nurses by proposing an annual budget reduction of $105 million for the nursing budget. The details for the proposed secret plans were contained in a signed document by the health minister indicating the government’s intention to make the nurse ratios more flexible instead of the legally acceptable one to four ratio besides replacing some qualified nurses with health assistants as well as introducing split shifts for the nurses (Bachelard 2011). The secret ministerial document indicated that besides the cut in nurse numbers which represented a 4 % reduction in nurse’s annual budget, the government proposed a 3.5 % pay increase for the nurse workers. Despite the admitting that Victorian nurses are lowly paid compared to those in other states, the government has been determined to implement the policy. The government’s plans were countered through a collective agreement by the concerned workers to allow a protected industrial action. The industrial action was justified by the fact that government’s secret plan would have far reaching negative implications on the patients and the healthcare system as a whole. The Victorian ANF website indicates that the government’s move to cut on the nurses’ budget allocation and introduction of flexible nursing ratio would lead to fewer nurses and midwives, reduced bed capacity, overstretching of ambulance capacity and lengthy waiting times in emergency departments and elective surgical operations (Fitzpatrick 2011). The hard-line position against the ANF concerns is a clear indication that the Baillieu administration is not sensitive to the patients’ needs. This is despite the nurses and midwives’ willingness to negotiate with the government before the kick-off of the industrial action. This implies that the protected industrial action was undertaken after all the other negotiation channels had been explored. The ANF Victoria industrial action led to reconciliation meetings by the ANF representatives, the Victorian Hospital’s Industrial Association and the government representatives (ANF Victoria 2011). The reconciliatory meetings were held at the Fair Work Australia under facilitation of Anne Gooley; the commissioner. According to a Victoria branch ANF official Lisa Fitzpatrick, the aggrieved health employees were not ready to condone the government’s conspiracy to reduce the number of midwives and nurses by 1758 (ANF Victoria 2011). The government has been accused of not according due consideration to the affairs of the health workers by using the issue of nurse/midwife to patient ratio to achieve political interests. The Victorian ANF chapter accused the government of being dishonest to the nurses by its secret plans to abolish the ratios after the elections despite the promise to retain the ratios prior to the elections. Implications of bargaining negotiations for the ANF Victoria branch nurses industrial action By undertaking the industrial action, the ANF Victoria branch’s major aim is to seek improvement of the minimum nurse/midwife to patient ratio. Improved ratio would in turn lead to a higher number of nurses in all the hospital departments per shift. In addition to retention and/or improved ratios, ANF industrial action is meant to push the government to introduce the nurse ratios in other departments like day surgery, dialysis departments and stroke as well as oncology wards among others (ANF Victoria 2011). The Victoria nurses, psychiatric nurses and midwives are also seeking a wage increment of 18.5 % to be implemented over duration of 44 months. On the contrary, the government had promised a 2.5 % increase each year. For the government to accommodate the nurses’ demand for wage increment exceeding the 2.5 % government offer, they are required to forfeit the existing pay entitlements (ANF Victoria 2011). As a result of the government’s position regarding the industrial action, the ANF and the government were forced to enter into an arbitration process in which both parties are not likely to achieve the expected gains. On the part of ANF, the industrial action has impact of attracting strong media attention in favor of the health workers. The media campaign is likely to have a negative impact on the health system through closure of hospital beds and disruption of elective surgical procedures. Nurses are expected to gain from an arbitration process at the expense of the government since the compensation for Victorian nurses is below the national average (Davis 2011). On the other hand, the nurses under ANF stand to lose from arbitration since agreements arbitrated by a tribunal area not likely to consider certain issues like nurse –patient ratios and working shifts among others. Another potential risk for both parties is that the outcome of arbitration may not be successfully negotiated within the present policy of 2.5 % annual increment as the current health system does not have adequate skills to undertake effective negotiations for separate agreements (Davis 2011). ANF Resolutions regarding the industrial action and gains for the ANF Subject to a members meeting held on November 21, 2011, the ANF sought a judicial review of an earlier suspension of the industrial action for a period of 90 days. The ANF resolved to call the government for a dispute settlement which would be recommended by the secretary to the members in favor of a consent arbitration which the government had earlier rejected. The ANF also resolved to carry on the industrial action to push for a fair outcome that takes into consideration the need to respect the nurses’ work, seeks to improve the state of nurse ratios and extend them in order to protect the Victorian population (ANF 2011). Another resolution by the ANF at this time was the move to take part in stop work gatherings upon request under circumstances where the safety and health of ANF members are threatened through intimidation as a result of their involvement in the industrial action. In order to safeguard the community interests, the ANF members also resolved to avoid actions that would put the health and safety as well as the community’s welfare at risk. Additionally, a resolution to call upon the state governments and their respective employers to be proactive in bring the dispute to an end given its potential negative impact on the health system was resolved. The ANF members also resolved to influence the state governments to support the nurse ratios. Though reconciliation meetings are yet to bring a favorable outcome for the nurses, a recent update on the proceedings between the Fair Work Australia and the ANF under facilitation of commissioner Gooley indicates that the ANF is determined to push for the proposed changes (ANF-EBA 2012). Through the reconciliatory meetings, the ANF members have attempted to push for a resolution that reflects the outcome of the general nurses and issues relating to mental health like levels of inpatient staff, management of community workload and classifications (ANF-EBA 2012). Additionally, the ANF has maintained its position against replacement of nurses with low-skilled health assistants in order to protect the nursing profession. To achieve these, the ANF members have called for commitment by the concerned parties in order to accelerate the process of reaching an acceptable agreement. Conclusion The recent industrial action by the nurses, mental health nurses and midwives under the ANF Victorian branch has created a major disagreement between healthcare workers and the Baillieu government. Since November 2011 the ANF Victorian branch nurses have undertaken a legally protected industrial action to oppose the reduction of the number of registered nurses, to seek improvement and extension of the nurse-to patient ratios and replacement of the skilled nurses with health assistants to cut the government’s nursing expenditure. The nurse to patient ratio is beneficial to various nursing cadres who do no trust the government for protection against pressure from increased workload. Despite the lengthy negotiations and a strong campaign against the secret government policy, there have been minimal benefits on the nurses since the ANF and the government was forced to enter into an arbitration process whose outcome is not likely to favor them. The ANF members have tried hard to push for a resolution that reflects the outcome of the general nurses and issues relating to mental health like levels of inpatient staff and management of community workload. Additionally, the ANF has maintained its position against replacement of nurses with low-skilled health assistants in order to protect the nursing profession. The ANF has also agreed to be proactive in seeking an end to the protracted dispute to prevent further negative impact on the health system. The ANF members also resolved to influence the state governments into supporting the nurse ratios. References ANF-EBA. 2012. Victorian public sector nurses, midwives and metal health nurses update. Public Sector EBA Update No.53, March 13, 2012. [Online] https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:uVt3aBVDlCUJ:www.anfvic.asn.au, accessed on May 10, 2012. Asbury. R. 2012. 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