Epworth Medical Imaging nurses stopped work for four hours in Geelong on Thursday from 9am to campaign for a lead apron allowance and decent wage increases.
Nurses can be required to wear an apron that is up to 10kg for three to four hours a day. Nurses in radiology wear lead aprons to protect themselves from radiation exposure during imaging procedures.
Within the private medical imaging industry, at least one other major competitor pays a lead apron allowance, so it is an industry standard to protect workers. Epworth Medical Imaging nurses are only asking for the same entitlement many of their peers already get paid.
Nurses are also campaigning for a 4.5 per cent wage increase, just 0.5 per cent higher than what is currently being offered.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement on behalf of nurses at Epworth Medical Imaging since late 2024.
The stop-work action marks an escalation of the protected industrial action that began in April. Protected industrial action has included wearing campaign t-shirts at work, talking to patients about the campaign, and bans on on-call and overtime as well as non-urgent meetings.
‘Epworth Medical Imaging nurses deserve what other nurses are entitled to,’ said ANMF (Vic Branch) Acting Secretary Maddy Harradence.
‘Epworth Medical Imaging nurses are taking protected industrial action as a last resort because Epworth Medical Imaging need to progress negotiations.
‘We reassure consumers and patients that there will be no risk to their health, safety and welfare. There may be some disruptions while nurses campaign for a fair deal and for this we apologise.’
