SA: Nurses reject pay offer after crisis talks with government

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2001
SA: Nurses reject pay offer after crisis talks with government

ADELAIDE, Feb 16 AAP - South Australian nurses remain committed to planning industrial
action after an emergency meeting with the state government today.

Public hospital nurses have threatened industrial action from next Thursday after the
collapse of pay talks with the government.

Australian Nurses Federation SA branch members last night voted to reject the government's
latest offer of a 17 per cent rise over three years because it failed to address staffing
level concerns.

The government summoned the federation to another meeting today but SA branch spokeswoman
Lee Thomas said no progress was made towards ending the five-month dispute.

She said if the government did not revise its offer nurses would, as a last resort,
enforce workplace bans from noon next Thursday.

Industrial action would include bed closures and bans on elective surgery, administrative
work and revenue generating activities, she said.

AAP sl/dub/rg

KEYWORD: NURSES SA NIGHTLEAD

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.