6 September 2019
Following yesterday’s shock news from Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and Women’s and Children’s Hospital Network (WCHN) that staff would soon be given the opportunity to take Voluntary Separation Packages (VSPs), the ANMF (SA Branch) has today written to the Networks demanding that the status quo to remain until meaningful consultation has taken place.
In the letters issued this morning to
CALHN and
WCH , the ANMF (SA Branch) advises the actions of the Networks in “introducing this program and presenting information to employees (and the media) without any notice or consultation with the ANMF (SA Branch) is a serious breach of the Nursing/Midwifery (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2016 (Agreement).” The ANMF (SA Branch) also advises the actions are also breaching these employer’s obligations under the SA Health HR Principles Nursing and Midwifery (Feb 2017) (HR Principles), which apply to the introduction of any health reform initiative impacting on nursing and midwifery employees. The HR Principles quite clearly provide that the employer must actively seek and take account of the views of employees and their representatives before a decision is made. There are also obligations that require SA Health to provide employee representatives with information about the proposed changes and adequate time to consider it.
The ANMF (SA Branch) has also conveyed its significant concerns with regard to the statements made to media by SA Health, which indicate an intention to implement further job cuts across the heath network, also without any consultation with the ANMF (SA Branch).
If CALHN and the WCHN fail to commit to the status quo until such time as meaningful consultation occurs, consistent with the obligations under the Agreement, the ANMF (SA Branch) will file an urgent industrial dispute with the South Australian Employment Tribunal in order to enforce the Agreement.
ANMF (SA Branch) has requested an urgent response from both Networks by close of business on Monday 9 September 2019 and will keep members updated at these matters progress.