Narelle Coulter
Nurses, personal care workers and midwives who feel “disrespected“ and “unappreciated“ rallied outside Bolton Clarke’s Glendale aged care facility in Werribee on Friday, demanding better pay, conditions and “respect“ from their employer.
The protected action was the latest in an escalating battle between Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) members and management of the Queensland-based company.
ANMF, which has been negotiating with Bolton Clarke for 18 months, is seeking improved conditions and a minimum four per cent increase for its 1700 members across the company’s 22 residential aged care facilities, at-home nursing program, Homeless Persons Nursing Program and maternal and child health line.
Among those protesting outside the Heaths Road facility was care manager Sam Lanteri.
Ms Lanteri has worked for Bolton Clarke since October managing a team of nurses who provide care to clients in the community.
Ms Lanteri said she and her nurse colleagues were paid well below the national average and below nurses who work in hospitals.
According to the ANMF, Bolton Clarke’s first pay offer was zero followed by a second offer of two per cent, with Ms Lanteri described as “insulting“.
“We are nurses on the road, independent practitioners going into people’s homes, treating people who are very unwell and keeping them at home longer so they are not going into aged care facilities or hospital. We not only support our clients but their families too.“
Mr Lanteri said she could “easily“ get a better paid job in a hospital, but she loves her clients and feels part of their family.
“Our clients love seeing us and are thankful for the help we give.
“We are just not appreciated, just not respected. We go without breaks, we are in our car all day so we have to stop at a park to use public bathrooms or at McDonald’s. We eat lunch in our car between clients because there are no proper lunch breaks. We eat as we drive so we’re not late for the next client. We don’t properly sit down during rest breaks.“
Ms Lanteri said the Bolton Clarke’s 2 per cent pay offer showed “real disrespect like we’re not worth it but we know we are because our clients tell us we are“.
She said Friday’s stop work action hurt herself and her colleagues financially but they were bolstered by the support of passing motorists, many of whom honked their horns in support, their clients and the ANMF.
“The union is behind us 100 per cent. There is a lot of solidarity. We are in this for the long haul,“ she said.
“Our clients love us and we want to the company to love us too.“
Members began stage one protected industrial action on Monday, July 15, 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.
On July 31, members banned the assessment and admission of new clients, excluding clients with personal alarms, palliative care, oncology and paediatrics.
ANMF Victorian Branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said workers are escalating their industrial action “with a heavy heart because Bolton Clarke is not listening and continues to take advantage of their caring nature“.
‘We’d like to reassure Bolton Clarke’s aged care residents, clients and their families that there may be some disruption or inconvenience for management, but there will be no risk to health, welfare and safety,“ Ms Fitzpatrick said.
“The aged care royal commission found employers, the government and unions had to work together to increase wages to strengthen employers’ ability to recruit and retain a skilled workforce.
“The Albanese Government has provided Bolton Clarke with millions of dollars for increased wages and to pay for enough staff to implement the daily mandated 200 care minutes for each resident.
“ANMF has made a successful aged care wage case in the Fair Work Commission fully funded by the government. Meanwhile Bolton Clarke is working to suppress wage increases for current staff and cutting wages for new staff so nurses and carers will be earning different pay for the same work.“
In a statement, Bolton Clarke group chief executive Stephen Muggleton said the company had put “proactive management plans“ in place including additional staff to ensure the “continued health, wellbeing and safety of residents and to minimise any disruption to service delivery“.
“Bolton Clarke has been working closely with employees, unions, including the ANMF, and other bargaining parties over the past six months to deliver the best possible outcome with funds available, ensuring we can continue to provide high quality care to communities we service,“ Mr Muggleton said.
“We are disappointed that the union is taking this action as good faith bargaining continues. We remain committed to reaching an agreement as soon as possible.“
The nurses, midwives and personal care workers have vowed to continue their rolling two-hour stop-work rallies each Friday, from 1pm to 3pm, during August and September.
