June 3, 2020

Workplace Issues

Nurses and midwives insulted by wage freeze

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Tens of thousands of nurses and midwives have been dealt a blow in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, after the NSW Government confirmed it will freeze all public sector wages.

In response, the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) has rejected assertions by Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet that frontline health workers have not sacrificed enough already.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said the government was disingenuous to suggest it was “deeply grateful” for the efforts of nurses and midwives, then refuse a modest 2.5% pay increase.

“Month after month, nurses and midwives have showed up for their shifts, helped tackle the worst pandemic our health system has ever seen and kept our community safe,” said Mr Holmes.

“Our members have stood at the bedside for hours on end, caring for patients, sweating under layers of personal protective equipment – at times wearing substandard equipment – because of their commitment to saving lives. Yet the government’s response is to freeze their wages.

“Nurse and midwives have been spat on, abused and discriminated against throughout this pandemic. Despite this, they have showed up for their shifts, unclear what each day would bring, now they’re being told they must do more for less.

“To suggest nurses, midwives and other public sector workers have not sacrificed enormously over the past four months is quite frankly, insulting. They have worked their guts out.

“The Premier and Treasurer are ignoring how a public sector wage freeze will impact rural and regional NSW. These communities rely on nurses and midwives to spend their wages in local businesses.

“After suffering through drought, bushfires and now COVID-19, it beggars belief the government wants to make it even harder for these communities to recover.”

Members across the state have begun voicing their opposition to the wage freeze publicly.

The NSWNMA is considering all options and continuing discussions with the Opposition and Crossbench MPs to block the government’s public sector wage freeze.

Unions lead to increased productivity and higher wages: study

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A study has found that companies with higher union densities (percentages of workers who are members of a union) correlated with “substantial increases” in productivity and wages.

The study, published in The Economic Journal, studied the economic impacts of union membership on private sector firms. It found that “increasing union density… leads to an increase in both productivity and wages”.

This flies in the face of conventional knowledge held by many companies and conservative propagandists that unions play a detrimental role in company productivity and economic growth.

The study gave a number of reasons as to why this correlation exists. One is that unions provide workers with a “voice” to management, resulting in better feedback mechanisms, increased worker satisfaction and longer tenures. Another is that union density incentivises companies to invest in their workforce, resulting in better training, equipment and wages.

The study recommended subsidised union memberships as a way of increasing productivity. This would come in the form of tax deductible union members and non-discrimination against union members and activists.

The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association is the union for nurses and midwives in NSW. You can join today to experience the benefits.  [Read more…] about Unions lead to increased productivity and higher wages: study

Wage freeze sours International Nurses’ Day

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As thousands of nurses prepare for their shifts this International Nurses’ Day (12 May), public sector workers across the state face the prospect of a cruel wage freeze being legislated by the NSW Government.

On a day when the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) highlights the achievements of all nurses across the public, private and aged care sectors, celebrations have been dampened by an imminent wage freeze.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said nurses were devastated frontline health and other public sectors workers face a wage freeze, despite the NSW Treasurer claiming to “always put people before numbers”.

“It’s no surprise our members are upset the government intends to bring on this wage freeze, instead of honouring a modest 2.5% pay increase from 1 July,” said Mr Holmes.

“Over 93% of our public sector members indicated their opposition to a wage freeze in a snap poll, while more than 4,000 have emailed their local State MPs, urging them to reject it.

“While risking their lives to protect our community during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s abhorrent to be asking frontline nurses to do more for less.

“COVID-19 has challenged our public health preparedness and emphasised the incredible resilience of all nurses. They deserve to be recognised for the sacrifices they continue to make.”

Assistant General Secretary, Judith Kiejda, reiterated the importance of International Nurses’ Day.

“We kicked off 2020 preparing celebrations to recognise our professions for the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. However, COVID-19 unfolded and has been a wrecking ball around the globe,” Ms Kiejda said.

“Sadly, more than 270 nurses across 29 countries have died in the fight against COVID-19. Tonight, nurses in Australia and New Zealand will honour their lives, tragically lost while caring for COVID-19 patients.”

NSWNMA member and registered nurse, Sue, said even though aged care nursing was extremely hard during this time, it was still very satisfying to go to work.

“Everybody should be treated with respect and dignity and if I can just do this, it is my life’s work, I am happy,” said Sue.

Intensive Care nurse and NSWNMA member, Alison, said nursing continues to be a privilege.

“Being able to help somebody whether a patient, relative or nervous young nurse sounds trite but it’s what has kept me in this profession for all these years,” Alison said.

Nurses fighting COVID-19 left out in cold by wage freeze

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On the eve of International Nurses’ Day, the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) has attacked plans by the NSW Government to ram through legislation for a public sector wage freeze, as early as tomorrow when parliament resumes for special sessions.

The NSWNMA, together with public sector unions representing all workers keeping NSW safe during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, has called on state opposition and crossbench politicians to vigorously reject any wage freeze proposals.

NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, slammed NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet for hypocritically claiming to “always put people before numbers”, then deny workers on the COVID-19 frontline, including nurses and midwives, a modest wage increase from 1 July.

“The government cannot deny the sacrifices of frontline workers, especially when more than half of the 144 NSW Health workers who have contracted COVID-19, acquired it while at work,” said Mr Holmes.

“Thousands of nurses, midwives, other health sector workers and public servants are risking their lives daily to keep fellow citizens safe. These workers deserve recognition, not attempts by government to send wages backwards and our economy into further turmoil.

“We are all preparing for a second wave of COVID-19, yet the government is asking nurses and midwives to do more for less, putting the budget bottom line before people in need.

“The Treasurer wants to ignore the efforts of frontline workers and unions operating in good faith, by planning a wage freeze for all public sector workers. It’s a disgrace.

“Nurses have been spat on and abused, forced to deal with a lack of Personal Protective Equipment and put themselves, and their families, at risk each shift.

“As restrictions continue to ease, our community is eager to return to some form of normality, but frontline workers won’t get to share that privilege and are now expected to sacrifice even more financially.

“Some of our members have witnessed a partner become unemployed or have had their shifts reduced. With partners ineligible for welfare, many frontline workers rely on a modest pay increase to help meet rising cost of living pressures.

“The middle of a pandemic is hardly the time to be asking frontline nurses and midwives to suck it up, show up for their shifts and do even more for less.

“Taking the steps to legislate this wage freeze ahead of International Nurses’ Day (12 May) is also a horrible reflection of what our government really thinks of nurses, midwives and other public sector workers.”

The NSWNMA has begun lobbying opposition and crossbench MPs to reject the government’s public sector wage freeze.

Aged care workers inspiring efforts to keep residents safe despite COVID-19

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In presenting the findings of its national Aged Care COVID-19 Survey, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) is today acknowledging the inspiring efforts of aged care workers across the country to keep older Australians, especially those living in nursing homes, safe, despite experiencing significant challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia.

The survey, conducted from 15 April to 6 May, aimed to assess aged care workers’ sense of their employer’s preparedness to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the strategies that had been put in place as well as identify the key challenges and major gaps in the aged care sector’s response to COVID-19 from the perspective of those providing direct care to older Australians.

A total of 1,980 registered and enrolled nurses, personal care workers and ancillary staff, from a range of employment areas, including for-profit, not-for-profit and government aged care providers, participated in the national survey, with the highest participation rate coming from the not-for-profit sector (44%).

ANMF Federal Secretary, Annie Butler, acknowledged that Australia has done an excellent job to date in containing the COVID-19 pandemic across states and territories, but said the ANMF continues to have concerns about the preparedness of the aged care sector to deal with outbreaks of the disease.

“Our concern is due both to the chronic understaffing and widespread lack of skills in the sector, so clearly identified by the Aged Care Royal Commission and the increasingly well-known risks for older people from COVID-19,” Ms Butler said today.

“We recognise that the Government has provided considerable assistance to the sector since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia but we have been unsure as to whether this assistance has converted to the additional staff, skills and resources required to prepare for, and deal with, an outbreak of COVID-19. So, we conducted this survey to find out what’s happening on the ground.”

A snapshot of COVID-19 survey found:

• Up to 80% reported no increases in care staff at their aged care facility to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak;
• 19% working in for-profit, 17% in not-for-profit and 13% in government-run aged care facilities reported staff cuts since the beginning of March;
• 77% reported their employers had recently updated or implemented infection control procedures for staff;
• Less than 40% said their aged care facility was prepared for a COVID-19 outbreak;
• Less than 30% said their aged care facility had enough supplies of PPE;
• 53% said they were willing to work more shifts at their aged care facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A concerning element of these results is the reports that staffing has not been increased and, in some cases, has actually been reduced since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia, across the aged care sector, despite a majority of workers reporting that they would be willing to work additional hours to help out during the pandemic,” Ms Butler said.

“Perhaps even more concerning is that once again, aged care workers are reporting significant levels of stress, pressure and a lack of support as the sector grapples to combat COVID-19. This is while they continue to be the ‘glue’ that is holding the system together. A fact that has been unacknowledged by the government and the sector since the pandemic began.”

The major issues of concern are captured in comments from the survey’s participants:

1. “I TRULY, TRULY hope it doesn’t make it into the facility. I fear short staffing. It occurs anyway (working short), as [we] can’t get replacements. Carers not allowed to have bottles of sanitiser on trolleys during pad/continence night rounds. Means only hand washing and a wall sanitiser left. Not as used as time poor. So infection control is now compromised.”
2. “They stated that if we suspect [COVID-19] in the facility, that we would ask for a test but not put precautions in place until we have a positive result which I feel vulnerable being exposed to the risk of Coronavirus …[W]hy should staff have to be asked to attend to residents as normal without being provided with adequate PPE or told off if we use PPE without a Coronavirus confirmed case? I understand there is limited supplies on PPE, but I still believe that we aren’t being given a fair opportunity to protect ourselves and our other residents that we have to care for.”
3. “We are working short staffed now. My concern is if we have an outbreak, the staffing numbers will be reduced even more and our residents are going to suffer.”
4. “I don’t think employers are being adequately advised by the government. They’ll take minimum measures required by government rather than look at overseas trends. The main issue with aged care from a carer’s perspective is a lack of staffing. This guarantees that carers will not be able to provide perfect care. Standards inevitably slide. This is why there’s so much hidden neglect in Aged Care.”
5. “I would want to help out in any way to nurse any patients and ease the pressure on permanent staff.”
6. “We don’t feel valued. Feel like they don’t care about our safety. Poor communication and lack of direction on how things need to be put in place More and more responsibility assigned every day, day-by-day workload increasing, high chance of forgetting things/making mistakes. It’s overwhelming.”
7. “Exhausting when you are working short, not only registered staff hours but also care staff hours. We are compromising our health, our ability to complete workload which is horrendous at any time. We have extra workload with COVID-19 and residents emotional needs – sad and missing families.”
8. “I work by myself with forty residents on a night shift. Not only do I care for my residents, I am expected to do their laundry, clean my area, cook for the residents and many other tasks.”
9. “Since March I’ve been told I wasn’t allowed to come to work and haven’t been offered any shifts as I’m a casual and also work at another institution. They said that it’s their policy to not allow staff that work elsewhere to work there. I had all my upcoming shifts cancelled and haven’t had any work since March.”
10. “We have been in total lockdown for months now. No family or visitors. Only if family bypass management and go higher up to CEO. We have palliative residents and family can only come in for a couple of hours. They are so grief stricken not being able to be with loved ones. When staff complain they are disciplined very harshly.”

8 May 2020

ANMF media release authorised by Annie Butler, ANMF Federal Secretary. 1/365 Queen St, Melbourne.

ANMF says aged care funding must guarantee safety of all residents

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The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) says the Federal Government must guarantee the additional $205 million COVID-19 funding for aged care providers is fully and directly used to employ more nurses and suitably-qualified care staff and ensure the availability of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said with funding provided to the aged care sector to manage COVID-19 now amounting to more than $850 million, aged care providers must address chronic understaffing and the ongoing shortages of PPE as a matter of urgency if Australia is to ensure the safety and protection of all residents.

“The Prime Minister said today that the new COVID-19 payment for aged care is aimed at reinforcing levels of safety and care for those who need it most but he provided no guarantee to the Australian public that this will actually happen. Without clear transparent requirements of providers to publicly account for how they spend these funds, we cannot be confident that the money will be used to implement the safety measures that are urgently needed,” Ms Butler said today.

“The most important measure to defeat the COVID-19 outbreak is to guarantee that the right numbers of staff with the right level of skills are available to meet all needs of residents. This will require every facility to have: registered nurses on duty on every shift; sufficient numbers of experienced care-workers; and, sufficient additional staff to undertake screening procedures and any other safety measures required.

“Aged care nurses and care-workers are stretched to their limits and are giving their all to provide the best care for their residents in these difficult times, a fact which went unacknowledged by both the Prime Minister and the Minister in today’s announcement, leaving our members feeling not only undervalued and unappreciated, but also uncertain.

“Unless processes, which require transparency and accountability for the use of these additional funds, are implemented, our members cannot be sure that the funds will be used to address the problems at the core of the sector’s lack of capacity to deal with the pandemic. They are concerned that frail, vulnerable residents, and the nurses and care-workers caring for them, will remain at increased risk from COVID-19. We are therefore asking the Government to require aged care providers to publicly demonstrate that the additional resources provided to them are being spent directly on increasing nursing and care skills in their facilities.”

1 May 2020

ANMF media release authorised by Annie Butler, ANMF Federal Secretary. 1/365 Queen St, Melbourne.