A result at last...

Today the 9 month long nurses battle with the State Govt has come to an end. Finally.

source - ©Mark Munro Photography

Among the wins

• no loss of ratios
• no assistants in nursing
• no split shifts
• increase in on call rates
• a 'continuing professional development' payment
• and of course the pay rises.

there are other plusses and very few minuses. As Lisa Fitzpatrick said the only disappointment was the length of time it took to come to a conclusion.

I went along to the meeting and got caught up in 'red fever'. The red shirt campaign was a stroke of genius, it unified the troops and made it very identifiable. We knew we always had the support of the community, it was just the government who tried to break our resolve. We were lucky out at the Marsh we were not asked to walk out at any stage, we did close some beds but no-one had to have their pay docked and for much of the ugly part of the campaign I was on leave. So its over and we will all benefit.

Pity we have to do this every time the agreement expires.