Britt Smith, EN at St Vincent’s Private neuroscience ward, Job Rep and Branch Councillor, on why she became a Job Rep and what every Job Rep should know.
Britt first put her hand up to be a Job Rep in 2024 when she found herself doing the job anyway during EBA negotiations with no active Rep on her floor. She wanted to join the EBA negotiations because “I wanted ratios in the private sector and pay parity with the public sector.”
It was a steep learning curve at first: “I had no clue what I was doing, even more so when it came to campaigning; I’d not only never campaigned before, but neither had any of my colleagues. Campaigning was very much a first for probably most of us in the private sector.”
The key to getting the hang of the new role was asking lots of questions and not expecting to know the answer to everything. Asking fellow Reps, ANMF organisers or going to the ANMF members portal was essential. Job Rep training also helped a lot.
“It’s scary sometimes but the more information you are able to get from everyone the better Job Rep you can be.”
Ultimately, the campaign is one of the things that made being a Job Rep worthwhile, “It is so empowering and fulfilling when everyone is working together to fight for better working conditions and pay. It really is a remarkable experience and I’m so proud to be a part of it all.”
The other thing that keeps Britt going as a Job Rep is being able to be the voice for colleagues – especially the ones who may struggle to speak up for themselves.
Asked about her advice for other Job Reps, Britt says apart from not being afraid to ask questions, the most important thing a Job Rep should know is the union is only as powerful as its members. “The union is driven by its members and the impact you can make when you have both members and the union behind you is huge,” she says.
And one other thing: “It is also important to have fun with the role!”
