Hundreds of members braved the mud outside Bolton Clarke’s head office at the end of July for a stop-work meeting and community rally to protest their employer’s insulting EBA offer and threat to stand nurses down for exercising their legal right to take protected industrial action!
They heard from Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus and Victorian Trades Hall Council Secretary Luke Hilakari, who said the whole union movement supported Bolton Clarke ANMF members and their campaign for fair wages and respect.
About a hundred more members from Bolton Clarke Glendale in Werribee and Western Hub attended a second rally on Friday 2 August. At this rally, ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick told members ‘your work is vital: it keeps people out of public hospitals and in their homes’ and that it was time Bolton Clarke recognised and rewarded the vital work of its nurses, midwives and carers.
This rally coincided with Bolton Clarke members escalating their protected industrial action to include banning the assessment and admission of new clients (excluding those with personal alarms, palliative care, oncology and paediatrics) and two-hour stop-work meetings, scheduled Fridays during August and September. Bans on assessment and admission of new clients will end on Friday 9 August, and from Tuesday 13 August, rolling daily two-hour stoppages will begin.
‘Nurses, midwives and personal care workers are escalating their industrial action with a heavy heart because Bolton Clarke is not listening and continues to take advantage of their caring nature,’ Ms Fitzpatrick said.
‘The Albanese Government has provided Bolton Clarke with millions of dollars for increased wages and to pay for enough staff to implement the daily mandated 200 care minutes for each resident.
‘Meanwhile Bolton Clarke is working to suppress wage increases for current staff and cutting wages for new staff so nurses and carers will be earning different pay for the same work,’ she added.
Why has it come to this?
For the past 18 months, the Branch has been negotiating wages and conditions on behalf of about 1700 members working across Bolton Clarke’s 22 residential aged care facilities, at-home nursing program, Homeless Persons Nursing Program and maternal and child health line.
After initially making a zero per cent wage offer, Bolton Clarke has offered a one-year agreement with a two per cent pay increase on some of the lowest rates in Victoria and a new lower pay rate scale for new employees.
This offer would see Bolton Clarke staff earning up to $140 per week LESS than colleagues at other aged care providers such as Baptcare, Calvary and Blue Cross.
Worse still, some Bolton Clarke members lost 1% from their wages last October when their employer decided not to pay the scheduled wage increase under the expired Allity enterprise agreement.
ANMF is seeking improved conditions and a minimum four per cent increase to match the wages of more competitive providers.
Members began stage one protected industrial action on Monday 15 July, including wearing red campaign t-shirts at work; talking about their campaign with residents, clients, the media and the community; writing campaign messages on work cars; a ban on redeployment; and administrative and non-clinical documentation bans.
Upcoming August rallies
- Friday 9 August: Bolton Clarke Rosebrook (Southern Hub), 441 Waterfall Gully Road, Rosebud, 1pm–3pm
- Friday 16 August: Newmans on the Park (Northern and Eastern Hub), 33 Newmans Road Templestowe, 1pm–3pm
- Friday 23 August: Bolton Clarke Avonlea (Southern Hub and Homeless Persons Programs), 3–7 Patty Street Mentone, 1pm–3pm
How can other members help?
Members from the public sector and other non-Bolton Clarke private and NFP services can continue to show their solidarity by signing our petition demanding that Bolton Clarke be fair to those who care.
You can also email acting CEO Glen Hurley directly to ask him to give his staff a fair pay deal.
Members are also encouraged to show your support and solidarity for Bolton Clarke nurses, midwives, and carers by coming along to any of the above rallies.
