At today's meeting RDNS members voted to suspend the second stage of the protected industrial action. This is following the Fair Work Australia (FWA) ruling ordering RDNS not to conduct a ballot of staff in relation to the proposed agreement unilaterally circulated by RDNS on 28 June 2012 (as outlined in RDNS EBA Update 17).
RDNS has been further ordered by FWA to communicate this to all nurses and community care aides in writing by 5.00pm on Friday 6 July 2012.
As a result of the order from FWA Commissioner Gregory, coupled with the commencement of conciliation proceedings in FWA tomorrow (6 July) before Deputy President Hamilton, RDNS members resolved at today's rally to suspend the stage 2 protected action:
1. Walkouts of up to four hours duration in the second half of the day shift or first half of the afternoon shift each day (excluding weekends) to include travelling to and from stop work meetings.
2. Banning all callouts, except palliative care, oncology, children and genuine emergencies and personal duress alarms (MEPACS - Mount Eliza Personal Alert Call service).
3. Banning one in three admissions/referrals from the Call Service Centre except palliative care, oncology, children and genuine emergencies.
4. To return to duty at the conclusion of the stop work period, subject to:
i. a specific request made by RDNS, and
ii. such time to be paid at overtime rates, and
iii. that employee's agreement, which will not be unresonably withheld
to enable any time critical client care to be delivered that day.
At this stage the Stop Work Meeting and Rally scheduled at RDNS Yarra will not go ahead tomorrow, nor will the daily Stop Work Meetings and Community Rallies scheduled for next week.
The first stage of protected industrial action that commenced on Monday 18 June 2012 will remain in place until such time that members vote to cease that action, and members are advised to continue with that action:
1. Refusing to enter any scheduled visit statistical data other than nursing care data such as clinical client assessment or risk identification into hand-held computers and/or mobile computer devices
2. Refusing to provide odometer readings when utilising an RDNS vehicle
3. Refusing to process or submit 1 in 28 day or 1 in 84 day DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs) reviews and DVA ECU (Application for Exceptional Case status) reports
4. Banning any work that assists in the invoicing of clients
5. Refusing to be redeployed from one RDNS Centre to another RDNS Centre
8. Banning one in every three assessments of clients other than the critical components of the initial general assessments such as risk identification, clinical observations and notations of allergies
10. Distributing and displaying ANF campaign-related information for the purpose of engaging with clients, relatives, members of the public and media about the proposed agreement
11. Wearing, distributing or displaying ANF campaign stickers, badges, hats/bandanas, umbrellas and/or T-shirts for the purpose of engaging with clients, relatives, members of the public and media about the proposed agreement
12. Displaying ANF campaign material such as car flags/banners/magnets on RDNS work vehicles used by nurses and community care aides for the purpose of engaging with clients, relatives, members of the public and media about the proposed
agreement.
(This numbering represents the ballot question numbers.)
