Vic: Govt won't increase pay offer to nurses

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2004
Vic: Govt won't increase pay offer to nurses

MELBOURNE, April 20 AAP - The Victorian government will not budge on its pay offer
to nurses, despite the spectre of industrial action, Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said
today.

Ms Pike said the government's offer to nurses of a three per cent annual pay increase
over the next three years and improved flexibility in conditions was a "fair deal".

Nurses yesterday gave notice they would close one bed in four in Victorian hospitals
in pursuit of their 24 per cent pay claim.

But Ms Pike urged nurses to re-think their proposed action, saying it could be devastating
for the hospital system.

"I'm just urging nurses when they go to that meeting this afternoon to think of the
implications of this action," Ms Pike told ABC Melbourne.

"It will be devastating for our hospital system.

"Elective surgery will have to be cancelled.

"Operations will have to be cancelled."

Ms Pike said in the last month nurses had "not conceded one iota" of their request
for additional funding, which would double the current wages bill.

When asked if the government was going to offer nurses more money today, Ms Pike said
"no, we're not".

"The nurses have put a hard and fast position on the table that at this stage they
haven't deviated from at all," Ms Pike said.

"What we've said is a large component of our offer has to do with increased flexibility
in working conditions and to date there hasn't been any willingness on the part of the
nurses to discuss what that might look like."

The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) notified health services of the proposed action
yesterday, saying talks had broken down in their dispute with the state government.

Up to one in four hospital beds will be closed from Wednesday as a result of the action,
and a quarter of all elective surgery sessions cancelled.

Referrals to outpatient clinics will also be affected, as well as the collection of blood.

The work bans still have to be approved by nurses at a mass meeting in Melbourne today.

AAP kw/gfr/cmc/jlw

KEYWORD: NURSES PIKE

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