Nurses at Christadelphian Aged Care form union branches to negotiate new enterprise agreement

Nurses at Christadelphian Aged Care, a religious not-for-profit organisation, were surprised when management sought to remove a range of long-standing benefits and rights following the expiration of the company’s enterprise agreement. The proposed changes included reducing annual leave from one week to fewer days and eliminating the provision of tea and biscuits in staff rooms. Management also aimed to impose new conditions, such as requiring employees to work across multiple sites during a single shift.

Assisted by an aggressive law firm, the company pushed for these changes, prompting six months of intense negotiations. During this time, many nurses joined the New South Wales Nurses’ Union (NSWNMA) for the first time. Two new union branches were formed at different workplaces, and union members gained experience in negotiating with the employer and conducting workplace campaigns.

The nurses ultimately secured an annual 2.5 per cent pay increase and preserved many important conditions. A new enterprise agreement covering all staff at seven nursing facilities was narrowly approved, with 42 per cent of voters opposing it. The agreement is now awaiting approval from the relevant commission.

The Lamp interviewed three Christadelphian Aged Care nurses about their experiences during the campaign. At the Southhaven Aged Care facility, nurses prioritised forming a NSWNMA branch to strengthen their position in advocating for improvements at the 130-bed facility in Padstow Heights. They decided to recruit more nurses to the union during the campaign in preparation for establishing the branch.

“There was a good roll-up at that first meeting because there were so many issues we needed to address, especially in workplace health and safety,” said registered nurse Julia Bundy. “Construction work had been going on for years and some of us had individually approached management about the safety risks several times. We got a very negative response with no improvements.”

In another instance, management installed ceiling-mounted lifts in every resident’s room but delayed training for nurses for over a year. “These cases showed management’s complete lack of interest in occupational health and safety, which is still a very big issue for nurses. That’s partly why nurses felt passionately about talking to the union,” Julia said.

NSWNMA staff conducted health and safety inspections alongside representatives from Christadelphian Aged Care head office, which “shook things up a lot” and led to some improvements. As negotiations progressed, Julia joined NSWNMA representatives from other Christadelphian Aged Care facilities to continue advocating for better working conditions.

Source: Read the original report