The majority of nurses, midwives and carers don’t work nine to five, but Dolly Parton’s famous song about gender and pay equity is anthemic for women in all workforces.
It’s rare that one person can unite folk across the board, but the global outpouring of grief in the wake of Dolly’s death showed just how universally beloved she was. And for good reason: not only was she an incredible musician and songwriter; she was also an iconic human who used her power and platform to lift others up.
She invested heavily in children’s literacy, providing free books to millions of children across the world through her Imagination Library (in Australia, Imagination Library has supported around 50,000 children, with 70 per cent of its books being by Australian writers, and ten per cent by First Nations authors).
She donated millions of dollars to medical research, hospitals and disaster relief.
She supported countless students to continue studying.
She created thousands of jobs in her local community.
She was a staunch ally to the LGBTQIA+ community.
She championed animal welfare and conservation.
What is perhaps less well known is that for almost 60 years, Dolly was a steadfast and proud union member. She was born in poverty and throughout her life stood in solidarity with workers everywhere. Her beloved workers’ anthem, 9 to 5, was released on a concept album about work that also includes songs about the mistreatment of migrant farm workers, coal miners and factory workers.
As she famously sings in 9 to 5, ‘there’s a better life and you think about it, don’t you?’ Dolly knew that for workers, that better life is achieved through solidarity; that beyond just thinking about it, when we stand together and take action together, we are mighty and can make positive change.
We see evidence of this every day at ANMF. For many decades, the Branch’s strong and unified membership has enabled us to make a real difference to nurses’, midwives’ and carers’ professional, and personal, lives in Victoria. Among the many achievements we have gained together are:
- paid parental leave, study and professional development leave, emergency management and disaster leave, and family violence leave
- superannuation payments on paid and unpaid parental leave
- paid and unpaid parental leave counting as service for the accrual of long service leave
- allowances and penalty rates
- accrued days off, reinstated after being abolished by the Kennett Liberal Government
- no-lifting policies and other improved occupational health and safety standards
- the registered undergraduate students of nursing (RUSON) and registered undergraduate students of midwifery (RUSOM) student employment model
- and, of course, nurse- and midwife-to-patient ratios.
Victoria was only the second place in the world, after California, to secure mandated ratios, in 2000, and was the first to implement ratios, in 2001, via the public sector general agreement.
With the passing, in both houses of parliament, of the Safe Patient Care (Nurse to Patient and Midwife to Patient Ratios) Amendment Bill 2026 at the end of August, Victoria is now guaranteed one of the most significant uplifts to ratios in 25 years.
This long-sought amendment will lead to the re-classification of 26 public hospitals, resulting in improved ratios in emergency departments, ICU, medical and surgical wards. Seventeen of these hospitals are in regional Victoria.
This amendment is something that our members have advocated for over years. It ensures that re-classifications are based on transparent, accessible data, meaning that regional hospitals in particular will no longer be subject to postcode lottery in nursing and midwifery staffing resources.
Of course, work continues to secure ratios in public mental health and the private sector. This work takes time, but we will not give up.
Solidarity with Nepal
The horrific magnitude of the floods in Nepal on 26 August is difficult to comprehend, even with the devastating video and images.
Many of the communities hit by the wall of water last week were also devastated by the 2015 earthquake that killed almost 9000 people, injured countless and left millions homeless. The humanitarian crisis that followed lasted years, meaning these communities had barely recovered. To be so catastrophically affected again is heartbreaking.
This week the Branch Executive Council authorised a donation of $10,000 to Emergency Action Alliance – a collective of 15 key Australian aid organisations who have pooled their reach and resources to provide disaster response around the world.
