South Australian Nurses call for urgent government intervention

South Australian Health Minister Lea Stevens and Industrial 
Relations Minister Michael Wright are being urged to urgently 
intervene in the nurses' enterprise bargaining dispute to avoid 
an escalation of industrial action.

Nurses and midwives have imposed a series of low level bans 
across all public hospitals in protest against the government's 
failure to a satisfactory pay and conditions deal.

Australian Nursing Federation Secretary Lee Thomas said the 
government's staffing offer was worse than existing arrangements 
which were agreed to in 2002.

"Nurses and midwives will not put patient care in jeopardy, and 
will not sign off on an agreement which places patients at risk", 
said Ms Thomas.

She said the Government has also failed to adequately deal with 
recruitment and retention issues and nurses needed both ministers 
to "take a hands on role in resolving the dispute in a timely and 
fair manner".

"It is in no-one's interest for industrial action to escalate, 
but nurses have made it very clear that they will no longer 
tolerate inaction from the Government", said Ms Thomas.

"Nursing shortages are already critical and require urgent 
attention. This claim is about ensuring we not only attract 
people in nursing, but also stop the current exodus of highly 
skilled nurses out of the profession.

"We are currently losing 400-500 nurses a year from the 
profession. If the current trend continues figures suggest there 
will be a nursing shortfall of 1500 by 2006, which equates to the 
current nursing complement at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, said 
Ms Thomas.