ANMF (Vic Branch) membership fees will not increase for the 2020-21 financial year to help ease the financial burden on our members.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Council has capped its membership fee increase to two per cent from each July for the past three financial years.
Its decision to maintain fees at the 2019-20 rates is aimed at further supporting members and their families who have been impacted by the summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the vast majority of members retained their employment, ANMF is aware a number of members, particularly those employed through agencies, will not have worked shifts for a period of time in 2020.
Unfortunately, agency nurses have been unable to access the same average weekly payments as bank nurses attached to public and private hospitals. A number of these members have been assisted through the ANMF COVID-19 hardship fund.
Family budgets are also under stress with some members becoming the household’s sole earner as spouses and partners have been impacted by job losses in other sectors and industries.
At the time of publication ANMF had assisted almost 100 members who made COVID-19 hardship applications and 50 members who applied for assistance during the bushfires. Assistance has included waiving membership fees for a period and/or financial payments.
In May ANMF membership grew past 90,000 members. This consistent growth will ensure ANMF can continue to provide our core benefits and services including legal, professional, educational, industrial and workplace health and safety support, advice and representation and professional indemnity insurance.
A new 30 per cent online conveyancing discount from Settle Easy is also on offer for those buying or selling a house.
All financial members are encouraged to use their annual CPD Portal credit to access modules and case studies. This membership benefit is intended to support members meet their annual registration renewal obligations.
In the 2019-20 year all members received an additional $60 credit to access the new ANMF’s new series of clinical assessment online modules to support members wanting to develop their clinical skills in recognising and responding to acute clinical deterioration, including a COVID-19 patient.
This bonus credit was in addition to the annual $400 credit for full and part-time members, the $120 credit for primary carer leave members and the $80 credit for student and associate members.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions ANMF continues to adapt its affordable Education Centre program to interactive online platforms. The classroom and nursing simulation labs are in limited use with strict social distancing. The library continues to provide study and research assistance to members.
ANMF is also moving many of our union training courses and events to online platforms. This includes the student study days for final year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students and enrolled nursing students.
Eligible members may apply for a range of grants to assist with further education and study.
To help build Victoria’s workforce capacity and address clinical shortages ANMF continues its annual fee grant assistance to support eligible members undertake study in specialty areas such as palliative care, midwifery, mental health nursing and alcohol and other drugs. Grants totalling $750,000 are available registered and enrolled nurses and midwives each financial year. The 2020-21 grants will open in January 2021.
