21 January 2022
This week’s meeting between the Premier and South Australia’s big three health care unions has reaffirmed Jocelyn Douglass’s belief and pride in the importance of the ANMF (SA Branch).
Ms Douglass, who is the ANMF (SA Branch) President with many years practice in acute community mental health, says the fact the ANMF (SA Branch), SASMOA and AEA were able to get Premier Steven Marshall and Health Minister Stephen Wade to front a virtual forum within a matter of just days to discuss the health care crisis speaks volumes about the power of unions.
“Absolutely I was impressed,’’ Ms Douglass said. “I am always impressed with particularly Elizabeth’s and Rob’s ability to get these things done, they were both there (Ms Douglass attended the meeting with ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM and ANMF (SA Branch) Executive Director, Operations, Rob Bonner).
“Being able to represent all the interests and agendas of the three different unions - it was very important to be able to get that meeting. I was very impressed we were able to arrange this,’’ she said.
“The Premier is facing down the barrel of the election in March. I think he realises the importance and the power of unions. We would rather be engaged before in the planning stage rather than hearing about things afterwards, which is what has tended to have happened. Too many government decisions are made without involving the unions who do represent the workforce.
“I think he (Marshall) knows that, but I think it is difficult for a politician to publicly admit it. The fact that he has done this shows he is smart enough to think ‘Well, at this stage it would be best listening to the unions’,’’ Ms Douglass said.
“Certainly, when Elizabeth was addressing the Premier, particularly even though it was not on the agenda, about so many aged care places impacted by COVID. Generally aged care is managed by federal rather than state government, but Elizabeth was saying ‘We do not want to get into that blame game of who it belongs to. If we have several outbreaks in 100 plus homes and that impacts on staffing and resources and how we’re going to make sure that people in aged care are getting the appropriate care and support that they deserve and need, we cannot just abdicate responsibility as a state’.
“We were very pleasantly surprised that he seemed quite receptive. He did not like the word crisis. He did not think it was helpful to characterise it in that way. He wants to project that there is more control over the situation, which is understandable, wanting to have people’s confidence.
“But he did not really challenge anything that was said, he took it all on board and agreed that we should meet again.’’
Ms Douglass noted that “it is interesting all those things governments claim are their policy wins (such as employing 600 extra graduate nurses), that they are wanting credit for, are in fact only because of the agitation and advocacy of the ANMF (SA Branch).
“It is interesting how we force them into certain things, and we force them to give certain things and then they claim credit for it, but that’s just political. That is just the way it is,’’ she said.
“Initially we were given half an hour (to talk) and it actually ended up being almost an hour. The Premier was generous with his time.
“It was quite well structured, being able to have the Presidents of each of the unions, even though I was not expecting to speak. It was a surprise, being able to have some direct conversation with the Premier, which is a good thing to be able to do and to say from our perspective what our members and my colleagues that I work with want.
“I think it went well. The Premier said he found it very positive and productive. I think that was a very positive statement.’