By Broede Carmody and Gemma Grant
The Royal Melbourne Hospital has backed down from a plan to slash the working hours of early-career nurses from next year, upping the pressure on The Alfred to do the same for its 2025 graduate intake.
The Age revealed last week that both hospitals had warned separate nursing cohorts to brace for a three-day working week – cut back from four days. That prompted a please-explain from Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, given hospitals were handed an extra $1.5 billion in funding just a few months ago.
The Royal Melbourne Hospital has backed down on a plan to cut working hours for early-career nurses. Credit: Joe Armao
New Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victoria (ANMF) members have now been told via a bulletin – seen by this masthead – that the Royal Melbourne will not proceed with its altered contracts for graduate nurses transitioning into their second year of service.
A Royal Melbourne spokesperson said the hospital was now committed to finding all 2024 graduate nurses 0.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles.
“We anticipate being able to provide those who choose to stay with us new contracts before the holiday break,” the hospital spokesperson said.
In its bulletin, the union acknowledged Royal Melbourne for reconsidering the impacts on nurses’ careers and livelihoods, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis.
Last week, two Royal Melbourne employees told The Age that managers had informed graduate nurses from this year’s intake that they would go from a 0.8 FTE role to 0.6 FTE in the new year. A 0.8 FTE role equates to a four-day working week, while 0.6 FTE equals three days.
The sources said staff were angry about the impacts on their take-home pay and on-the-job learning.
Separately, hundreds of successful applicants to The Alfred’s 2025 graduate nursing program were recently told their positions had been slashed from a 32-hour working week to 24 hours. The ANMF says this happened without consultation.
Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said Royal Melbourne’s backdown meant Alfred Health should follow suit. If it didn’t, she said, the hospital and the health minister had serious questions to answer.
“Victoria’s graduate nurses need appropriate experience and must have their hours reinstated,” Crozier said.
An Alfred Health spokesperson said the service – which runs The Alfred, Caulfield and Sandringham hospitals – was continuing to work with the nursing union.
On Monday, Premier Jacinta Allan said the change in nurses’ hours was not a decision for government.
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