ROLLING strikes which have affected half of Bupa's 26 Victorian nursing homes will end later today and resume on Monday.
Nurses and carers began striking for their whole morning or afternoon shifts earlier this week as part of their campaign for safe staffing levels and increased pay.
Nurses and carers from Bupa Ballarat, Bupa Caulfield, Bupa Coburg, Bupa Clayton, Bupa Donvale, Bupa Eastwood, Bupa Greensborough, Bupa Mildura, Bupa Portland, Bupa Sunshine, Bupa Templestowe, Bupa Thomastown, and Bupa Woodend are participating in the strike action.
The rolling strikes follow a 400-strong rally last week outside Bupa's Melbourne corporate headquarters and is the most serious industrial action to ever to occur in the private aged care sector in Victoria.
Bupa management was provided with the required five days notice to make arrangements for the care of residents.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) has been trying to negotiate a new enterprise bargaining agreement for nurses and carers with Bupa management since July 2016.
Bupa nurses and carers are seeking increased staffing levels and a commitment to replace all unplanned leave.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said "Aged care nurses and carers striking for the very first time is evidence something is deeply wrong with the aged care system and the way employers choose to roster staff.
"Residents have increasingly complex nursing needs, but there are fewer nurses. Safe staffing is not supported by the aged care law, the aged care assessment audits, the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner or workplace laws.
"Who will listen to residents, their families and their nurses and carers? Who will stand up, regardless of the industry lobbying or the politics and say the answer is mandated safe nurse/carer to resident ratios?"
Maureen Berry, Bupa Aged Care Australia chief nurse said the organisation was disappointed the Union felt this level of industrial leverage was warranted, "given we are negotiating in good faith".
"We respect the right of employees to take protected industrial action and we have ensured the safety, health and wellbeing of our residents is not impacted."
The case will return to the Fair Work Commission on November 16.
