Over time, words like solidarity and collectivism have somewhat dropped out of mainstream public discourse, but in the union movement we are privileged to know these values are still alive and well.

Sticking together, working together, respecting each other, fighting for each other – these are the core ingredients of the teamwork needed to aspire for, and to achieve a better life for ourselves and our families.

In this month’s Branch Beat we see these values in action in a small, rural, private facility in Bathurst where registered nurses (RNs), recognising the worth and contribution of enrolled nurses (ENs) to the hospital, threw their weight behind them to get the fair pay increase they deserved.

Our members at Bathurst Private Hospital also recognised that their agreement gave them rights, which they exercised after questioning a decision of management that was going to cost them.

This led to a strong branch evolving, where members support each other personally and professionally, and which provides the sound base for achieving good industrial outcomes.

RNs go into bat for EN pay rise at Bathurst Private Hospital

In a show of solidarity with their colleagues, RNs nurses at Bathurst Private Hospital argued for endorsed ENs to be given an extra pay increase during their recent enterprise agreement negotiations.

Robyn Wormald, an RN at the hospital, told The Lamp that they wanted to see the ENs they work alongside receive more recognition for the work they do.

“As a small facility, there are only two nurses in our hospital, an RN and an EN, on weekends and on weeknights after theatre hours. The ENs are very experienced – they really run the place.”

Bathurst Private Hospital, with just two theatres and 16 overnight beds, relies on a small team of dedicated staff. Over time, endorsed ENs at the hospital have developed a deep base of skills.

“ENs can often end up doing the work of an RN, but for half the money,” said Robyn.

Jenny Hossle, an EN who has been with Bathurst Private for 11 years, told The Lamp she was happy with the way branch members worked together to negotiate the agreement.

“We have good relationships at the hospital. We are a tight-knit branch, and we all wanted the same thing: we wanted recognition for the work we do.

“I love being part of the union, and it is only in our favour to be involved. Our organiser, Heidi [McNamara], and  industrial  officer,  Cameron [Smith], have been fantastic. We couldn’t have done it without their support.”

The new enterprise agreement will see an initial pay rise of 4 per cent, backdated to November 2023, with an additional 4 per cent increase from July 2024.

ENs will get an extra pay rise on top of this increase, via an improved classification structure for advanced ENs. A new classification level will recognise an advanced EN above the highest EN classification level.

This new level is effectively a “loyalty recognition” for experienced ENs who have at least five years of continuous service at Bathurst Private.

IMPROVEMENTS TO CONDITIONS

Since the last agreement (EA) at Bathurst Private expired in 2020, staff have received only nominal administrative wage rises. And without a new agreement, there have been no opportunities for staff to update and negotiate improved conditions.

The new agreement will see staffing ratios improved, with ACORN staffing standards implemented in theatres and recovery.

The new EA also includes an increase in staff parental leave, with up to 15 weeks leave for a primary care giver, and up to five weeks leave for a supporting partner.

“Our wages are still a fair way behind the public system, as a lot of private hospitals are,” Robyn said. “But after our last agreement ended, we were just getting further and further behind.”

ACTIVE BRANCH DROVE BARGAINING

Branch members at the hospital first started to become more active in 2021, after management suddenly announced an extended Christmas closedown. If the closedown had gone ahead, staff would have had to take leave without pay, or they would have had to use up annual leave they might have been saving for another time of year.

When branch delegates raised the issue with the union, they were advised that the EA required the hospital to give staff sufficient notice of shutdowns. Management backed down when members questioned the decision – an important win that has given the Bathurst branch a renewed sense of purpose.

Since that time, the Bathurst Private branch has held regular meetings and with good attendance. Members have worked hard to negotiate this new agreement, with delegates successfully securing support from a majority of members after circulating petitions for a log of claims and enterprise bargaining to commence.

“It can be hard for private hospitals to keep up with the public system wages, but we care about our patients,” Robyn said. “And if they are going to be looked after, we have to look after our staff as well.”