Medical imaging nurses strike over pay and apron compensation

Imaging nurses at Epworth Geelong have walked off the job amid negotiations regarding a new enterprise agreement.

Cat, Simone, Nicole, Emily, Jo and Christian protesting at the Epworth Geelong on Thursday. Picture: Alan Barber.

Epworth medical imaging workers in Geelong have gone on strike demanding better pay and an allowance for the lead aprons they must wear.

Emily Rouhan, one of six nurses who stopped work for four hours on Thursday, said the 10kg aprons that protect them from radiation exposure were “awkward and heavy”.

“It’s a lot of pressure on our body, it’s a lot of extra weight, it’s uncomfortable. It’s something that does impact us physically,” she said.

The imaging nurses are also campaigning for a 4.5 per cent wage increase, half a percentage point above what is currently on offer from Sonic Healthcare – the private healthcare provider that employs the nurses.

Thumbs down: Epworth Medical Imaging nurses on Thursday. Picture: Alan Barber.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement on behalf of nurses since late last year.

ANMF Victorian acting branch secretary Maddy Harradence said Epworth Medical Imaging nurses deserved what other nurses, including at Epworth Healthcare’s other sites, are entitled to.

“Epworth Medical Imaging nurses are taking protected industrial action as a last resort because Epworth Health Care need to progress negotiations,” she said.

Julian Adler, chief executive of radiology at Sonic Healthcare, said the industrial action had “zero impact” on patients.

“Our nurses are already paid better than any other group of radiology nurses in private radiology in any part of Victoria before we started the latest EBA,” Dr Adler said.

He said the current offer includes reimbursement for registration fees, provides additional annual leave for part-time shift workers, and gives additional provisions for special maternity leave.

“We are offering four per cent, per annum for four years for our nurses which puts them way ahead of any other private medical imaging provider in Victoria,” Dr Adler said.

“We are dealing with a very generous offer.”

But the nurses rejected his claims, with Ms Rouhan saying the Epworth hospital nurses accepted a 24 per cent pay rise.

“It doesn’t make sense that we would accept a really low offer of 16 per cent over four years when the people in the same building who look after the same patients, get more,” she said.

“Doesn’t really show our value if we are going to be considerably underpaid.”

Dr Adler said he wanted to reach an agreement with the imaging nurses as soon as possible.

“We have reached the point that we are absolutely at the top of our offer and we cannot move any further,” he said.

Fifteen nurses are expected to strike at Epworth Richmond on Friday.

Originally published as Medical imaging nurses strike over pay and apron compensation