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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 4 Hansard (27 March) . . Page.. 959 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

I am accused of having failed to negotiate with the ANF. However, I am now willing to reveal that I had made a private approach to the union secretary over a week before the deadline. We agreed that it was a without prejudice discussion. I wanted to understand the basis of her strategy and to explain the government's position, and try to see if the offer could be guided to a successful conclusion, without interfering in the proper open negotiation process between management and the union. We had a pleasant conversation, but I was disappointed that she was not prepared to meet with me on a one-to-one basis. It is important to be able to have such without prejudice discussions, but in light of events since I think it should be public that I did attempt such a meeting.

Members can understand my disappointment at this point. It was now obvious that a political choice had been made that the offer would be rejected come what may. I should say that Mr Rayment had already advised me that he felt that the union leadership was unlikely to move from a strategy related to both ACT politics and possibly to the national agenda of the ANF.

I also attempted to seek a breakthrough through the good offices of former ANF Secretary Prue Power who chairs the industrial relations subcommittee of the ACT Health and Community Care Service Board. She attempted to contact the current leadership, but I understand that her calls were not returned.

Finally, it is worth reporting to the Assembly on events in extra time after the deadline had passed. It appears that a very vigorous reaction broke out among nursing staff after the deadline. Many staff were angry that the ANF had failed to inform them of Mr Rayment's efforts to reach agreement, and that they had failed to call a meeting. Urgent calls were made by staff to demand a union meeting, and the leadership plainly scrambled to control their position. It appeared for a time that the final offer was popularly acceptable. A truly bizarre meeting notice was circulated by the officials accepting that the final offer actually was good enough to vote on.

I indicated to Mr Rayment that if, against all indications to date, staff and management were to unite in agreement, I would give such an outcome the best consideration I could, with a view for a new submission to go to cabinet, even though it would need to compete with other budget priorities.

A union members meeting was held on Thursday, 22 March. At this meeting I am advised that approximately 70 nurses voted to accept the package, and about 200 voted against doing so. A number of staff rang my office and that of the TCH management that morning complaining that as they were HSUA members, or not members of either union, they did not have a say.

It remains a matter of considerable disappointment to me that out of 1,100 nursing staff employed at the Canberra Hospital, even at the largest meeting an estimated 200 TCH ANF members voted down the package against about 70 voting to accept it, leaving over about 800 who did not get to have a say. It was my constant desire to see democracy extended on this deal, but that was to be denied.

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