Archived Industrial News: February 2006

Further rationalisation of nursing awards will erode working conditions

The Howard Government passed its regressive WorkChoices Bill in December last year and immediately set about an award rationalisation process that, if successful, will lead to a dramatic erosion of nurses’ working conditions currently available in awards.

Unions and the general public have been given only one month — during the holiday season — to make submissions to the Award Review Taskforce Secretariat. The Taskforce is charged with the rationalisation of federal award wage and classification structures and a reduction in the number of awards.

The Taskforce discussion paper, which invites submissions, describes a central plank of the rationalisation process in the following terms: Awards will also cover a narrower range of issues. Award terms relating to wages, classification structures, casual loadings and piece rates will be removed from awards and set and reviewed by the Australian Fair Pay Commission (Fair Pay Commission) as part of the new Australian Pay and Classification Scales (APCSs).

The majority of Australian nurses are employed under federal awards except in NSW, in the private sector in Q ueensland and more recently in the public sector in T asmania where state awards apply. It is estimated that 20-30% of nurses have their wages and conditions of employment determined by federal or state safety net awards. These nurses are generally employed in aged care facilities, GP clinics and other small businesses.

Between 70-80% of the nursing profession is covered by collective agreements negotiated on their behalf by the ANF. The collective agreements, however, are read in conjunction with the relevant federal or state award in recognition of the continuing importance of the award system.

Since the late 1980s federal and state industrial tribunals have developed and maintained common national nursing industry wages and conditions, accepting that nurses should be remunerated on the basis of their skills, education and experience. During this period federal and state industrial tribunals also supported the inclusion of a comprehensive classification and pay structure within nursing awards.

The ‘simplification’ of federal nursing awards commenced by the Australian Government in 1996 reduced many of the employment conditions able to be included in awards, although nursing was successful in maintaining classification structures based on the qualifications and experience of nurses . The current ‘rationalisation’ process will further reduce the allowable matters in awards, including classification structures. It is also intended to reduce the number of awards.

In its submission to the Taskforce, the ANF will argue, among other things, that the award rationalisation process will seriously erode the working conditions of nurses, driving them from the profession and as a consequence, undermine the quality of nursing care and patient safety.

A copy of the Taskforce discussion paper is available at: www.awardreviewtaskforce.gov.au

Nick Blake
ANF Federal Industrial Officer