In our private EBA era: hundreds of St Vincent’s Private Hospitals nurses and midwives stop work for safe staffing. They are not the only ones…

Stepping up their industrial action campaign, St Vincent’s Private Hospitals nurses and midwives walked off wards and out of theatres on Thursday 28 November for a stop-work rally – an historic first for Victorian members at the private employer.

The rally came after members had rejected the second offer from St Vincent’s Private Hospitals management, which had made some concessions on member claims, but had reduced the initial wages offer as a result. Significantly, the offer also failed to address members’ key claim for safe staffing and workload mechanisms.

Hundreds of members across all four St Vincent’s Private sites – Fitzroy, East Melbourne, Werribee and Kew – stopped work for more than two hours as part their protected industrial action campaign seeking solutions to understaffing and high patient workloads. In some instances, members attended the stop-work rally despite intimidation from management.

ANMF has been negotiating wages and conditions for members since June.

No one thinks it’s good enough

Job Rep Lachlan Schacht, from the Fitzroy campus, said St Vincent’s Private Hospitals nurses and midwives decided to take the unprecedented action due to one simple question: ‘why are we being told to accept less for the same work as our colleagues in the public hospital next door?’

St Vincent’s Private Fitzroy is located next door to St Vincent’s Public Hospital. ‘We look out over the same courtyard as the public hospital,’ Lachlan explained. ‘We saw their red shirts a few months ago.’

The current situation, he added, meant graduates would preference the public employer over the private, and that not implementing ratios would make it difficult to retain staff. ‘With all the benefits and conditions in the public system so far beyond what’s on offer here, it’s going to be hard to retain people. No one thinks it’s good enough. The patients don’t think it’s good enough. It needs to change.’

Rubbing salt into members’ wounds, in 2023 St Vincent’s Private Hospitals agreed to ratios in their enterprise agreement for their three NSW sites: St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney, Mater Hospital in North Sydney and St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Griffith.

And yet Victorian members seeking the same are told they are ‘being petulant and inflammatory,’ Lachlan said.

Unprecedented action continues

ANMF (Vic Branch) Acting Secretary Madeleine Harradence said that ‘patients paying high health insurance fees would be surprised to learn there are fewer nurses caring for them on the wards at St Vincent’s Private Hospitals than at the public St Vincent’s Hospital.’

Despite pressure and intimidation that members are experiencing from management, she added, they ‘have courageously taken this unprecedented action because they want to make sure they have the time and resources to deliver the level of care that their patients deserve.’

Members will stop work again this Thursday 5 December. St Vincent’s Private members have received details directly. If you’re a St Vincent’s Private Hospital member and you haven’t received notice please check your communications preferences via the member portal.

Healthe Care members have begun protected industrial action

In addition to the action at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, ANMF (Vic Branch) is negotiating with a number of private hospitals across Victoria, including with Healthe Care where last week members rejected their employer’s revised offer and began stage 1 protected industrial action.

Members’ major focus is on maintaining safe and quality patient care through improved staffing and reduced workloads.

Churches of Christ protected industrial action

Members at Churches of Christ aged care, meanwhile, have been taking protected industrial action since 24 October, inclusive of several stop-work rallies.

Queensland-based Churches of Christ operates two facilities in Victoria: Arcadia Aged Care and Oak Towers Aged Care. Members have been working under an expired EBA since 2020. With Churches of Christ seeking to sell both facilities, and the prospective buyer not wanting to participate in negotiations, members have been campaigning for a new, fair agreement with-up to-date wages and allowances.

Upcoming private sector EBA expiry dates

Many of the major Victorian private hospital EBAs expire in 2025. In most cases, bargaining for a replacement EBA can commence six months before the expiry date.

Members are encouraged to get ready, and get involved. Identify who your Job Reps (you can find them listed on the member portal), talk with your colleagues and make sure your contact details and preferences are up to date so that you don’t miss out on important communications from ANMF.

Sign the petition

ANMF regularly hears from private hospitals that they are underfunded by private health insurers. In response to this and the record profits listed by private health insurers, ANMF (Vic Branch) has started a petition calling on the insurers to pay their fair share to private hospitals so that the hospitals can pay decent wages and provide safe staffing.

All ANMF members – and their friends and families – are encouraged to sign the petition.