New laws address gender inequality and undervaluation of work in a significant way.

It has been described as the “most significant increase in industrial rights in NSW in over 30 years”.

New amendments to the NSW IR Act are good news for NSW workers, especially those working in female dominated sectors like nursing and midwifery.

In the federal IR system, we have seen how the Fair Work Commission has been able to grant substantial wage increases to aged care workers in order to redress historic undervaluation of work in the sector.

New amendments to the NSW IR Act give us the potential to pursue similar cases in the NSW IR system which could benefit members in the Public Health System.

Currently, we are pursuing a 35 per cent pay rise over three years via a special case in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.  These new laws will strengthen one of our principal arguments: there needs to be a correction of the gender-based undervaluing of nursing and midwifery in NSW.

A new object of the Act will be to achieve gender equality in the workplace and in particular, to “ensure equal renumeration for men and women doing work of equal or comparable value and to eliminate gender-based undervaluation of work”.

There are also improvements to prevent and eliminate discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment with strong sanctions including damages of up to $100,000 to be awarded in such cases.

There are also important improvements to Workplace Health and Safety which will aim to strengthen compliance and enforcement and give unions significant new powers and influence.

The Association has been championing these changes for some time along with our colleagues at the Teachers’ Federation. We have garnered support across the union movement and have been able to convince key government figures including the Premier, the Treasurer and the Minister for Industrial Relations. There has also been solid support from the crossbenchers.

The State government’s track record on reducing the gender pay gap has, up to now, been less than stellar but these new laws have real teeth and will give the Association fresh avenues to pursue pay claims that would address the historical anomalies.

NICU members find their power

Congratulations to our members working in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Western Sydney.

Their crowded and critically understaffed units were at a tipping point until members took things into their own hands and initiated action on behalf of their vulnerable patients.

At Westmead babies were often “double parked” or “triple parked” – two or three babies to a bed space – even within a converted cupboard, a totally unacceptable clinical situation.

The staff response was decisive, inspirational and effective in defence of their voiceless patients.

Branches at Westmead and Nepean held rallies in their own time and lobbied Western Sydney MPs for improved funding and more staff to improve safety.

Initially, the response of those MPs was disappointing. They trotted out the same old mantra the Association has been hearing for the last two years – “There is no money”.

But pressure works. The media coverage our branches generated garnered the community support needed to bring the government to its senses and to allocate more funding, at least for a start at Westmead.

For our NICU members it is a reminder that the community values them and will listen to their analysis of what is happening at the frontline. The government needs to do the same.

Support in a time of uncertainty

The failure of the private equity model in health implemented by Healthscope was both predictable and avoidable.

But all that matters at this moment is protecting the interests of patients and staff as the administrators prepare the company for sale.

This can and should be done in an orderly way that maintains the stability of the company’s hospitals, allows staff to deliver their high-quality care as they always do and for patients to be well looked after as they deserve.

The administrators say there are adequate funds within the company to maintain this stability and the federal government has been unequivocal in prioritising the interests of patients and hard-working staff.

The NSWNMA and the ANMF have been active and vigilant to give our Healthscope members a voice with the company, the state and federal governments and the administrators during this difficult period.

It’s a difficult time but we are rock solid behind you to help you get through it.