Around 1000 Japara aged care ANMF members have been urged to take an active role in their enterprise agreement campaign, which will set a benchmark for upcoming Victorian private aged care EBA negotiations.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick told Japara members that by each member making a small contribution ‘we can achieve great things’.
At online members’ meetings on 26 and 27 May, Japara members approved five key claim themes which formed the basis of ANMF’s log of claims to be presented to Japara management on Friday 4 June. They are:
- Time to care – minimum mandated staffing to deliver quality care by nurses and carers
- Respect our work – remuneration reflective of the responsibility and skill of nurses and carers
- Security of work- meaningful careers for nurses and carers
- Skills to care – professional development entitlements to support the provision of quality evidence-based care
- Safety of nurses, carers and residents guaranteed
The campaign will take place across the 33 Japara sites in Victoria. The five key claims are linked to the recommendations of the aged care royal commission and the national ANMF ‘It’s not too much’ advertising campaign with the message that having enough staff to provide safe, high quality care for private aged care residents is ‘not too much to ask’.
The five key claims support the aim of having sufficient nursing and personal care staff to provide high quality care for the elderly and vulnerable in nursing homes, recognition of nurses’ and carers’ hard work and skills, and safety for staff and residents.
Senior Industrial Officer Megan Reeve told the Japara members that ANMF would be seeking to improve Japara nurses’ and carers’ wages so they were closely aligned with those of nurses and carers working in Victorian public sector aged care facilities. This would mean variable wage increases depending on classification.
Ms Fitzpatrick told the Japara members that the aged care royal commission final report had provided rich evidence from independent commissioners about what is needed to fix the system, to ensure that staff have the respect they deserve and residents the care they deserve.
ANMF has asked members working for Japara Aged Care to go to the ANMF member portal and fill out a survey about staffing numbers on each shift. ANMF will then compare care minutes per resident against the aged care royal commission’s recommendation that all residential aged care facilities implement 200 minimum care minutes per resident per day by July 2022.
The commissioners recommended that of the 200 care minutes, 40 were from a registered nurse, 60 minutes were from an enrolled nurse and 100 were from personal care workers.
In the Japara members’ log of claims, the ANMF is seeking to have a registered nurse available on-site 24/7.
