‘I can’t provide the best care’: Unions heads demand wage freeze to be abolished

Unions NT bosses want retention incentives returned and the pay freeze policy lifted as they push for better conditions. A Royal Darwin Hospital nurse reveals the pressure she faces daily.

Northern Territory nurses want a return of retention and incentive schemes in a bid to bolster their ranks and relieve stressed workers.

Unions NT bosses met with Chief Minister Natasha Fyles recently to discuss abolishing the wage freeze enforced by the Gunner government.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery NT (ANMNT) has been heavily campaigning against the wage freeze since May this year.

ANMNT secretary Cath Hatcher said she was not hopeful of a result in favour of the union.

“All of the unions at the meeting said they want the wage freeze off the table and appropriate increment wage percentage increase,” Ms Hatcher said.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery NT branch secretary Cath Hatcher speaking at a nurses rally in the Darwin CBD on September 1. Picture: Floss Adams

“I said to her ‘we wouldn’t think any less of you if you dropped the wage freeze and gave your workers a better incentive to stay and a better entitlement and encouragement to come to the Territory to work’,” she said.

“She said that she would ‘go away and think about it’ and asked for each union to go to their minister they would normally see in regards to their enterprise agreement.”

Ms Fyles, who is also the Health Minister, said the government would continue to work “proactively” with the nurses’ union.

“We thank all our wonderful nurses for their dedicated and hard work,” Ms Fyles said.

Chief and Health Minister Natasha Fyles says the government will continue to work with the nurses union. Picture: Floss Adams.

“We know we need to do more to retain and attract our nurses workforce.

“This is why we are investing $12.8m into our workforce attracting fund.”

The package announced in February this year was designed to incentivise various industries and attract employees to the Territory with programs such as Work, Stay, Play.

However, the Top End and Arnhem Land public nursing sector still has 130 full-time equivalent nurses positions available and 78 in Alice Springs.

A Royal Darwin Hospital nurse, who didn’t want to be named, said the “majority” of her shifts felt like the hospital was “understaffed”.

There are 2750 full time equivalent nurses working in the Territory. Picture: Che Chorley

“I feel as though I can’t provide the best care to my patients because I simply don’t have the time due to the high activity and patient load,” she said.

“I often finish a shift realising I haven’t used the bathroom or had any water because I’m run off my feet.”

She said the policy was disappointing and “sad” and there needed to be more incentives to keep nurses working in the Territory

“I don’t know why they would freeze RN wages. We are stressed enough as it is and that will only increase the number of nurses who decide to quit the profession,” the RDH nurse said.

RDH nurses Steph Watt and Dale Ricketts protesting against the wage freeze at the Unions NT rally on September 1. Picture: Floss Adams

Still a registered nurse and midwife, Ms Hatcher said incentives that were once offered decades ago to NT nurses such as accommodation subsidies and flights home once a year were something that should be reconsidered.

“A lot of other states are doing retention bonuses or retention incentives to try and help staff be happy because they’re under pressure every day,” she said.

“It’s not just once or twice a week that they’re really really flat chat and really strapped, it’s every day.

“Every shift and that’s been going on for months.

“They’re going to leave because the other states are getting a decent pay rise.”

Another meeting is expected to be held three weeks after the initial congregation to reconvene and negotiate.