Annual Report 2019/2020 Anmf About the Anmf
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ANMF ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 ABOUT THE ANMF The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) is Australia’s largest national union and professional nursing and midwifery organisation. In collaboration with the ANMF’s eight state and territory branches, we represent the professional, industrial and political interests of more than 290,000 nurses, midwives and carers across the country. Our members work in the public and private health, aged care and disability sectors across a wide variety of urban, rural and remote locations. We work with them to improve their ability to deliver safe and best practice care in each and every one of these settings, fulfil their professional goals and achieve a healthy work/life balance. Our strong and growing membership and integrated role as both a trade union and professional organisation provide us with a complete understanding of all aspects of the nursing and midwifery professions and see us uniquely placed to defend and advance our professions. Through our work with members we aim to strengthen the contribution of nursing and midwifery to improving Australia’s health and aged care systems, and the health of our national and global communities. ANMF Level 1, 365 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000 anmf.org.au Graphic design: Erika Budiman CONTENTS ANMF Membership 2 Federal President’s Report 4 Federal Secretary’s Report 6 The Federation 8 ANMF Federal Report 2018-2019 12 Industrial 16 Professional 20 Campaign and Political 26 National Policy Research 30 Education 32 Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal 34 Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 38 Collective Work of the Federation 40 ANMF ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 REPORT ANNUAL ANMF 1 2 1991–2020 ANMF 200,000 280,000 250,000 100,000 150,000 50,000 MEMBERSHIP 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 ANMF ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 REPORT ANNUAL ANMF 2002 2003 2004 2005 healthy work/life work/life balance. healthy a goals andachieve professional fulfil ourmembers’ allsettings, across care practice ofsafeandbest thedelivery toimprove collectively work continueto we membership ofthis union.Onthestrength largest Australia’s remains December 2019,theANMF at31 With 284,272membersnationally theirmembershipin2019. increasing Branches Territory and State with alleight ANMF Membershipcontinuestogrow, The ANMF’s 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 ANMF ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 REPORT ANNUAL ANMF 3 FEDERAL PRESIDENT’S REPORT Sally-Anne Jones Federal President Who could have foreseen as we celebrated a New Year on 1 January 2020 that this was going to be year unlike any other that we can remember in our personal histories? There have been massive events such as assassinations of Presidents, numerous wars, mass evolution of digital technologies, and 9/11 to name a few, but none of them compare to the scale and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare, people and society. For our front-line heroes, nurses and midwives, in The principle issue of focus this year, apart from every sector and work environment, our response to COVID related work, has been continuing to progress the pandemic has been extraordinary. Everyone went the National Aged care campaign, with the goal of above and beyond, as people are inclined to do in an ensuring mandated minimum staffing ratios and emergency – longer hours, extra shifts, additional greater transparency and accountability in residential effort, less sleep, food and family time. Usually, when aged care. Many of our members, residents, and the emergency is over, we recuperate and return to families joined our Federal Secretary in giving business as usual. The challenge this time is that there evidence to the Commission – an important part of IS no return to normal. Not even a new normal. Our giving life and voice to what we have known for a long work has changed. Our society has changed. And we time…that the system is broken and some of our most have changed. vulnerable citizens have suffered and continue to 2020 was designated the WHO International Year of suffer. The Federal Office staff have continued to write Nurse and Midwife and the ANMF was working with submissions, and documents to support the cause. the State and Territory Branches to coordinate a couple Despite the initial hiatus in national meetings in the of national simultaneous events but all such things first response to COVID, the ANMF is still engaged were cancelled with the progression of COVID. In my in new ways with ACTU committees, taskforces, opinion, it has been no more fitting year to celebrate International Year of Nurse and Midwife as, no matter alliances, round tables and advisory groups to further where our members work, each and every one of us has extend the professional and industrial interests of contributed to the continued health outcomes and well- nursing and midwifery. being of the people in our jurisdiction and each other! On behalf of the Federal Executive, Federal Council The first Federal Executive meeting of 2020 in and the ANMF membership, I would like to once February in Melbourne is the last time we have again thank all the staff of the Federal Office for their met face to face, and it seems so long ago. This year, dedication, hard work and support over this past year. amidst one of the greatest health crises we have They remain focused and committed to the goals of known, the ANMF remains committed to meetings the Federation and the broader (albeit differently) of the Federal Executive and Federal Council which provide the means through union movement. I look forward to working with which strategic national discussions and planning Federal Executive and staff over the coming year occur. The Federation remains committed to our to further advance the interests of our members to values of integrity, courage, fairness, unity, inclusion ensure nurses, midwives and carers remain a strong and responsibility as we continue to foster strong united voice both professionally and industrially and relationships with relevant key stakeholders to are empowered to improve the healthand well-being ANMF ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 REPORT ANNUAL ANMF progress the strategic goals of the ANMF. of all Australians. 4 ANMF ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 REPORT ANNUAL ANMF 5 FEDERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT Annie Butler Federal Secretary As ANMF’s Federal Secretary, it gives me great pleasure to present you with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) 2019-2020 Annual Report and provide an overview of the ANMF’s activities and achievements over what has been one of the most extraordinary 12 months we’ve ever had. Amidst a year of instability resulting from the levels and skills mix in aged care, including catastrophic bushfires across the country in late 2019 a registered nurse on duty at all times. and early 2020, followed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the ANMF swiftly adjusted some of its While this felt like a high point bringing us a step closer priorities, particularly in the second half of the financial achieving ratios in aged care, we needed to continue year. Despite these changes and the challenges we all to advocate and campaign for aged care workers and suddenly faced, the ANMF continued to campaign older Australians in the sector. This included joining and advocate for its members on crucial issues. forces with the AMA calling for urgent action, and ANMF branches across the country continuing to ANMF’s Federal and state and territory Branch campaign for improvements in aged care. leadership remained unchanged during this time, while I am pleased to say ANMF’s membership grew Other priorities for the ANMF over the past 12 months to 284,272 members nationally, as of December 2019 included economic justice for women. Teaming up with and continues to do so, reconfirming the ANMF as the SDA and the ASU unions, who also have a majority Australia’s largest union. female membership, the ANMF lobbied for closing the financial gender gap, particularly in retirement. The ANMF’s key focus for the year has been progressing ANMF’s campaign for aged care ratios and The ANMF with other unions, community groups the union’s ongoing engagement with the Aged Care and supporting politicians, also worked to defeat the Royal Commission. union-busting ensuring integrity bill and the unfair and discriminatory religious freedom bill. Over the course of the Commission’s activities in 2019 until June 2020, both ANMF officials and members gave Additionally, ANMF branches across the country evidence at the Commission’s hearings, including on continued and won, their campaigns for safe staffing, the aged care workforce, education and training and the fair pay increases and decent conditions for nurses interface between the health and aged care systems. In and midwives across all sectors. addition, the Federation made a series of submissions on a comprehensive list of issues impacting the sector In January 2020, with much of Australia gripped and participated in the Commission’s roundtables, by devastating drought and bushfires, estimations workshops and conferences. suggested more than 75% of Australians were directly or indirectly affected by the fires including those Throughout the ANMF continued to gain community experiencing respiratory illnesses in major cities to support for the elderly and recognition from the Royal loss of life and property in the worst affected areas. Commission on the significant failings of the aged care sector, including the consequences of the chronic In response, the ANMF joined other emergency understaffing in aged care. This was further supported services unions and participated in the ACTU’s when Senior Counsel Assisting, Peter Rozen earlier emergency services summit, which explored critical ANMF ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 REPORT ANNUAL ANMF this year recommended mandated minimum staffing issues facing frontline workers, including nurses 6 and midwives, responding to the bushfires.