Australian Nursing Federation WA vice-president Romina Raschilla has replaced Mark Olson as state secretary of the union, after the latter was ruled ineligible for the role.
Mark Olson announced he would not appeal the Industrial Relations Commission's decision to oust him as the Australian Nursing Federation state secretary after only six weeks in the role.
St John of God Health Care will stop operating maternity services at its Bunbury Hospital next month, citing a staff shortage in delivering private obstetric care in regional areas.
Western Australia's nursing union has backed a 3 per cent pay rise, bringing an end to the longest-running pay dispute in the organisation's 100-year history.
Our weekly appointments wrap includes Graeme Morissey, Celina Chew, Jason Leeder, Nolan Hunter, Carol Innes, Pennee Osmond, Katie Winterbourne, Brooke Draper, Robert Taylor, Pat Furlong and Brian Rafferty.
Western Australian nurses and midwives are overwhelmingly backing plans to form a state political party in the latest escalation of a bitter wages feud between their union and the WA government.
Janet Reah holds no regrets about calling for the ANF to strike over the objections of the state's industrial relations watchdog, despite the union now facing fines worth a cumulative $27 million.
The state government has tabled what it says will be a final pay bump of between 3 per cent and 4.5 per cent to WA nurses and called on the union to come back to the negotiating table on working conditions.
Surging salary costs and sagging royalty revenue have done little to harm the state's finances, with today's mid-year budget review showing a minor improvement in the government's projected surplus.
Janet Reah has vowed the nurses' union won't again defy the industrial relations commission's orders as the threat of deregistration lingers following last month's strike.
Jordan Murray and Matt Mckenzie discuss what happened when nurses rallied outside parliament today and what federal industrial relations reform means for future disputes.
Nurses have received public support from a major ally ahead of tomorrow's strike, while the opposition has called for unions to respect the industrial umpire's orders.
Nurses must wait until later this month to vote on the state government's pay deal, after a ruling by the Industrial Relations Commission this afternoon.
The Australian Nursing Federation has all but conceded its members will have to accept the state government's offer of a 3 per cent pay rise, rather than pursue a 10 per cent claim.
The nursing union has hit back at claims it is being disingenuous in its wages deal talks with the state government, arguing the package had a lot of weasel words but was light on detail.
Amber-Jade Sanderson branded the nursing union's rejection of a second wages deal “disingenuous”, claiming it was now the only thing standing in the way of getting its key demand.
State budget surpluses north of $5 billion have sparked big public sector wage claims, but an iron ore price continuing below $US80 per tonne would mean the cash flood dries markedly.
The next phase of industrial action to be taken by Western Australian nurses - a ban on overtime - will start Wednesday, after weekend talks failed to break the impasse over pay and conditions.
The nursing union and the state government are headed for peace talks in their ongoing wages row, but Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson has ruled out throwing more money behind the offer.
The nursing union is forging ahead with its planned industrial action this afternoon, rejecting a final plea by Premier Mark McGowan to abandon the strike and return to the negotiating table.
Senior editor Mark Pownall talks about the impact long COVID is having on the workforce and the research being done in Perth to understand the condition.
