A large group of nurses and nursing assistants employed by Lifeblood across NSW will join a second online mass meeting of more than 200 Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) members today to consider protected industrial action.
Members of the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) are among hundreds of ANMF members currently negotiating a proposed new single enterprise agreement, which Lifeblood hopes will cover workers nationally.
NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, will participate in the mass meeting and said a range of protected industrial action options would be discussed.
“We’ll be speaking with other ANMF members and officials about protected industrial action and what that would look like. Currently, everything is on the table because Lifeblood has been less than willing to consider each state or territory’s genuine proposals,” said Ms Candish.
“Respect for these dedicated workers starts with a respectable wage offer and improvements to their conditions, not stalling progression for many nurses, cuts to public holiday entitlements for NSW part-time workers, or lower pay points for some nursing assistants.
“We repeatedly tried to negotiate a new agreement with management since the NSW Lifeblood agreement expired in mid-2021, now they are attempting a single national agreement which would leave many of our members worse off.
“These registered nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing assistants help to ensure the supply of blood and blood products occurs safely across the country.
“If Lifeblood wants to retain and attract skilled clinicians in their workforce, they must listen to their concerns and do better,” added Ms Candish.
NSW members are hoping Lifeblood will return to the negotiating table with an offer that recognises their value and respects their professionalism.
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