WHAT ANMF Bolton Clarke members two-hour stop work and community rally for fair pay and conditions ACTU Secretary Sally McManus and VTHC Secretary Luke Hilakari will address the rally
WHEN Monday, 22 July 2024, 1pm-3pm. (Speakers will start 1.05pm sharp)
WHERE outside Bolton Clarke's Victorian headquarters, 347 Burwood Highway, Forest Hill
Bolton Clarke nurses, personal care workers and midwives will stop work for two hours on Monday 22 July to rally for better pay and conditions.
For the past 18 months, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) has been negotiating wages and conditions on behalf of about 1700 members working across Bolton Clarke's 22 residential aged care facilities, at-home nursing program, Homeless Persons Nursing Program and maternal and child health line.
Bolton Clarke's Victorian aged care facilities are located across Melbourne, Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula.
After initially making a zero per cent wage offer, Bolton Clarke has offered a one-year agreement with a two per cent pay increase on some of the lowest rates in Victoria and a new lower pay rate scale for new employees. ANMF is seeking improved conditions and a minimum four per cent increase to match the wages of more competitive aged care providers.
Members began stage one protected industrial action on Monday 15 July, including wearing red campaign t-shirts at work, talking about their campaign with residents, clients, the media and the community, writing campaign messages on work cars, a ban on redeployment, and administrative and non-clinical documentation bans.
Bolton Clarke, Australia's largest not-for-profit aged care provider, wrote to ANMF on 11 July foreshadowing it would 'take employer response action under section 411 of the Fair Work Act, by way of lockout.'
The major national Queensland-based organisation formed in 2016 when RSL Care in Queensland merged with Victoria's Royal District Nursing Service. In 2022 it acquired 22 Allity and McKenzie nursing homes in Victoria.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said: 'Nurses, carers and midwives only take industrial action as a last resort when their employer is not listening and we reassure residents and clients and their families that their health, safety and welfare are not at risk.'
About us:
The ANMF (Vic Branch) has more than 100,000 members – nurses, midwives and aged care personal care workers – across the Victorian health and aged care sectors.
