Bolton Clarke nursing homes threaten staff lockout

Frail nursing home residents are at risk of missing lifesaving medication and meals after an aged care provider threatened to lock out nurses.

Nursing home residents may miss lifesaving medication and other care if an aged-care provider follows through on a heartless threat to lock out nurses from Monday.

Bolton Clarke, which operates 21 nursing homes in Victoria, issued a chilling warning amid a dispute over a pay rise.

In an unprecedented move in a health dispute, the provider told the nurses’ union it would lock out 1700 nurses and personal care attendants.

They could then not provide care such as turning bedridden residents, and providing accurate medication.

Nurses could be locked out at 21 nursing homes from Monday. Picture: iStock

The threat came after the union told Bolton Clarke it would take industrial action that would “not impact resident, health welfare or safety”, such as not filling out timesheets for head office.

“Bolton Clarke proposes to take employer response action under section 411 of the Fair Work Act 2009, by way of lockout,” Carly Carloss, head of employee relations and remuneration, wrote on Friday.

“Bolton Clarke now gives notice of that response, which will occur after industrial action is taken by an employee.”

A lockout is legal during a pay dispute, but rarely used.

Former Qantas boss Alan Joyce infamously locked out his workforce in 2011, grounding jets and stranding tens of thousands of passengers.

Bolton Clarke group chief executive Stephen Muggleton on Sunday attempted to distance the company from the threat sent on Friday.

“Claims that we intend to lock staff out are incorrect; we want staff to attend work as usual to maintain continuity of care and minimise any disruption,” he said.

Bolton Clarke group chief executive Stephen Muggleton.

“Bolton Clarke has been working closely with employees and bargaining parties for six months to deliver a contemporary state-based enterprise agreement for teams in Victoria.”

The industrial action was due to start at 7am Monday, with Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation’s Victorian branch giving Bolton Clarke three days’ notice as required by law.

Bolton Clarke has been on an advertising blitz, with TV commercials promising worried children their elderly parents would be safe in its care.

The company has become a significant player in aged care in Victoria after it took over the Royal District Nursing Service. It has homes from Werribee, Sunbury and Templestowe down to Rosebud.

ANMF secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said: “We’re calling on Bolton Clarke to thaw its frozen heart and treat its nurses, midwives and carers with the respect they deserve and the respect the residents and clients who use these services would expect.”