Tasmanian nurses step up industrial action and dispute continues

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation secretary Emily Shepherd said nurses and midwives had begun a ban on overtime and double shifts for two days a week.

She said the bans would be stepped up in two weeks if the government did not make an acceptable offer on pay and conditions.

“This is not something they do lightly. They accept that they make an easy target for the Health Minister to come out and say they are endangering the lives of patients: this is just spin doctoring,” Ms Shepherd said.

“Nurses and midwives will always put patients first but they are increasingly angry that the Government continue to ignore the fact that not offering a competitive package will seriously jeopardise the professions and the safety of patients in the future.”

Government chief industrial negotiator Frank Ogle retires on Friday after 48 years in the public service but declined to comment on the negotiations.

Pemier Will Hodgman and Treasurer Peter Gutwein said it was unfortunate public sector unions had not accepted offers of a 6 per cent pay rise over three years.

“Those offers have contained substantially improved terms and conditions which would provide additional financial benefits to public servants on top of the 2 per cent per year pay rise,” they said.

“They are delaying not only their own members, but all public servants, from receiving the pay rise and other improvements that the government is offering.”

Mr Hodgman and Mr Gutwein said they had written to unions to arrange a meeting for next week on the wages issue.

“We would hope that union bosses will take this opportunity to genuinely engage and understand the parameters that the government is working within,” they said.

Community and Public Sector Union secretary Tom Lynch was furious after the government’s last minute cancellation of talks set down for Thursday.

He was also critical of the government’s failure to advertise Mr Ogle’s job when it had been known for months that he was retiring.

“The latest excuse for cancelling negotiations is that the Treasurer needs to ‘examine’ the Government’s 2 per cent offer in the context of the midyear financial report due for release next week,” Mr Lynch said.

“We understand this means any new offer will be embedded in the mid-year financial report as a ‘final position’.

“Unions will not be accepting any take it or leave it offer from the Government.

“Tasmanians need a real pay rise and that means an increase above the cost of living.”

Mr Lynch told public servants the wages campaign was at a “critical stage” and “it has never been more important to stand united and act collectively”.