Panel of Experts - Penalty rates for nurses

By ahhb
Thursday, 28 April, 2016

In this issue our expert panel weighs in on - Penalty Rates for Nurses - how important are they and are they sustainable?

LEE THOMAS
- Federal Secretary
Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation
The Productivity Commission’s (PC) final report held little surprise with regard to the reduction in penalty rates. It had been proposed in their draft report that Sunday penalties for hospitality and retail workers would be reduced to that of Saturday. Despite consultation, the position was unaltered.
The ANMF believes this is the thin edge of the wedge, and once the reduction is mandated for some then it’s only a matter of time before any promised exceptions are lifted and it becomes the norm. And that’s a huge concern to us all.
In a survey of our members, it was unsurprising that 92% of the 13,000 respondents said they would leave the profession if their penalty rates were altered or removed, and a massive proportion said they would take some form of industrial action to protect their penalties.
Despite nurses and midwives seemingly being safe at least in the public sector, what of those nurses working in aged care private hospitals, schools and community settings? Will they too be included in the exemption? This is a question I put to the PC during public consultations, sadly without any clarification.
No matter your view about the need for penalty rates and who should get them, ANMF members are clear about one thing: You touch one of us you touch us all.
MARYANNE O’FLYNN,
- Enrolled Nurse
orthopaedics, paediatrics, surgical, maternity, special care nursery, specialist outpatients and ED.
Penalty rates play an important role in delineating social and unsocial work hours. As an Australian nurse, work hours would ideally match those of other members of my family including my children’s school hours and would include weekends off and take into account my husband’s need for me to be at home with the family in the evenings. Of course this is not the reality for me or for other shift workers - our lives are predetermined by 24 hour rostering.
The current penalty rates go some way towards compensating for the multiple impacts this kind of working lifestyle represents. I know as a mother I wouldn’t continue in this profession without penalty rates. Why would I? Without the financial compensation what would be the incentive for me to work a 24 hour roster when I can retrain in another field of work that will bring my life in line with that of my family and society in general?
Nurses are compassionate people who have chosen their profession to help the community and I am sure many of them would continue in their roles without penalty rates. The impact, however would be a discontented and under-appreciated work force.
KATE CARNELL AO,
- Chief Executive Officer
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Health professionals do a wonderful job supporting the sick and injured around the clock and throughout the calendar year. These staff have long been given extra compensation for working at unconventional hours, and there is no prospect of that changing. The business community has not argued for any change to the pay structure for these workers, and in its major report on workplace relations, the Productivity Commission did not advocate any change either.
However, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry believes there is a need for change in the retail and hospitality sectors. People now expect hotels, cafes, bars, supermarkets and other retailers to be open seven days a week. But many of these businesses struggle to open on Sundays because penalty rates, typically double regular pay, make it too expensive. By bringing Sunday penalty rates in line with Saturday rates for retail and hospitality, more businesses will open their doors, more workers will get shifts and more customers will be served. Research shows this change could create 40,000 jobs.
With more than 750,000 Australians out of work, we need to take action. This is not an attack on penalty rates; it is an attempt to develop pay rates that reflect the seven-day economy and will make it easier for businesses to employ young people.