ANMF (Vic Branch) is pressing on with efforts to secure and address workload issues for nurses working in mental health, as EBA negotiations continue.
The employers’ representative, the Victorian Hospitals Industry Association, has neither confirmed nor objected to data supplied by ANMF which maps the staffing on each shift in each bed-based mental health unit in Victoria. This data is central to pressing our claim for mandatory minimum staffing levels in the 2020–24 agreement.
ANMF continues to press for the inclusion of all the relevant clauses from the 2020–24 public sector general nurses and midwives agreement, as well as claims relating to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System’s interim report.
These include the reintroduction of standalone mobile support teams and crisis assessment and treatment (CATT) teams, and claims to provide certainty about staffing of bed-based units.
Other claims seek to address issues relating to the staffing of high dependency units to the detriment of low dependency units and increasing and strengthening nursing positions for community mental health.
ANMF understands that the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) has informed employers of their intention to take industrial action.
However, in light of ANMF’s bargaining progress around members’ claims, ANMF is not seeking to commence the process for members to engage in protected industrial action at this time.
Forensicare EBA negotiations
As part of the Forensicare EBA negotiations claims including for more prison nurses, ANMF has submitted its mapping of nurse staffing levels across all Forensicare units.
ANMF is seeking the inclusion of this nursing data in the next enterprise agreement, as a minimum level, to ensure the expertise of mental health nurses remains accessible to all Forensicare consumers.
