Thank you again to the nearly 6,000 members who participated in the ANMF It’s our union member survey earlier this year, with responses strongly representative of ANMF’s broad membership of nurses, midwives and carers in public, private, mental health and community settings, from regional and metro Victoria.
As a new leadership team, we felt it important to understand what you want from us.
Occupational violence and aggression (OVA), and the poor reporting of it, was a priority concern for the majority of members. This includes the impacts of racism and harassment in the workplace. Seventy per cent of respondents said they had experienced OVA, with over 30 per cent experiencing it at least monthly or more frequently. This reiterates what you told us during annual seminars: it’s a really critical workplace issue, it’s affecting retention and it’s one of our clear priorities.
The survey also showed discrepancies across sectors, with members who work in aged care experiencing disproportionate challenges – compared with colleagues in the public and private acute sectors – around accessing leave and other entitlements and securing better wages and conditions.
One highlight we’re incredibly proud of is that a huge 94.6 per cent of respondents said they would recommend the ANMF to a colleague!
Members see the value in being union, and the importance in standing together as a community of nurses, midwives and carers all working towards the same goal: to improve our professions, our working lives and the lives of those we care for.
The survey has provided important data that will shape ANMF priorities on the issues that matter to you, including the prevalence of OVA, workload pressures, access to flexible work arrangements and career satisfaction; as well as your views on virtual workplaces and workplace surveillance.
The results have also provided important information on how members want to engage with the ANMF, including that you wanted more workplace visits. The survey results will inform our advocacy for our professions, our campaigns and how we engage with members. It has also set our priorities in the form of a new strategic plan.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Strategic Plan for 2026–2029
The survey data, along with months of member engagement – including through regional forums, feedback from Branch staff and delegates – has been instrumental in the development of the new ANMF (Vic Branch) Strategic Plan for 2026–2029.
The Strategic Plan outlines our purpose and priorities, and provides a roadmap for achieving these. It will inform and guide the Branch’s work, providing a clear strategy for our work, guided and informed by our members, over the next three years.
ANMF Town Hall meetings for members
ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Maddy Harradence and Assistant Secretaries Nicole Allan and Sam Casey will now take the plan to members. Throughout October and November Maddy, Nicole and Sam will hold town hall meetings in regional and metro areas across Victoria to discuss the strategy and how it will inform ANMF priorities over the next three years. It will be a chance for members to provide feedback, ask questions and find out how they can be involved.
