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Union Anger over Govt Deception on Nursing Negotiations

The Health and Community Services Union today slammed the Government on their misrepresentation of the unions’ position to address the nursing shortage in Tasmania’s public hospital system.

The Government is clearly attempting to deceive the Tasmanian community by seeking to blame unions for the breakdown in the negotiations.

The major area of disagreement between HACSU and the government is the implementation of a 25% Enrolled Nurse to 75% Registered Nurse ratio across the whole public hospital system. HACSU has requested that the Department of Health and Human Services attempt, where possible, to employ nurses into the agreed 61 positions on an urgent basis.

Tim Jacobson, HACSU Assistant State Secretary said, "HACSU understands that it will be difficult to attract the additional nurses but at the very least the Government should attempt to fill these positions immediately. The Government's position will not produce any of the additional nurses for at least 9 months."

Tim Jacobson also said "Both the Government and HACSU have agreed that there is a nursing crisis. HACSU has done everything possible to negotiate an outcome in order to bring more nurses into the health system. It is now up to the Government to deliver.

The position the Government has now taken will unfortunately force HACSU to seek that the matter now be arbitrated before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission."