24 August 2020
One Adelaide nurse was so impressed by the support she received from the ANMF (SA Branch) during a moment of high stress under duress she’s now keen to become a union rep herself.
The nurse, who wishes to remain anonymous (let’s just call her Florence), found herself “called into a meeting without any notification of what the meeting was about and no time to prepare or have a representative with me’’.
“I was initially very scared and intimidated, I felt quite bullied … in all my years in nursing I never thought I would be in this situation,’’ she said.
“So when I was asked to formalise a response I contacted my onsite union rep who immediately provided me with services and support and advice on where to go next’’.
Florence and her formalised response were forwarded on to the ANMF Duty Officer. “I just felt completely supported through the whole situation,’’ she says. “The outcome of the event … basically my response was accepted and we’ve moved on from there.
“My union rep said that the union will be there for you, they will back you and she was 100 per cent correct.
“It gave me the confidence to proceed. They’re there to fight for our rights and they do it very well.
“I was very, very happy. I’m not religious but I was thanking the Lord I was a union member.
“I’ve even discussed with the union rep about becoming a union rep myself because I thought without them being there to turn to when I needed the help, I wouldn’t have known what to do. I would have felt very lost and alone.
“I was that impressed that I’ve gone ‘yep, I want to be there for others as well, the same as the union was there for me’.’’
If you would like to inquire about ANMF (SA Branch) membership please call 8334 1900 or visit the membership page on our website.