ACT: Nurses Reject "Insulting Offer"

Canberra nurses have rejected an ACT government proposal to increase nursing wages by 2 per cent a year for the next four years.

The ACT branch of the Australian Nurses Federation (ANF) described the pay offer as ''disrespectful'' and ''insulting'' on Tuesday, after members voted unanimously to refuse the offer outright.

The territory's nurses and midwives are the latest workforce among the ACT's 20,000-strong public service to criticise government attempts to set wage increases for the next four years below inflation.

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) condemned the offer made to its workforce last week, saying staff were effectively being told to accept a pay cut.

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has said the government needs to restrain spending in a tough ACT economy and the wage offer would spare the slashing of public service jobs that has happened in other states.The government did not comment on the negotiations with nurses and midwives on Tuesday.

But ACT ANF secretary Jenny Miragaya said there was ''no respect'' for nurses or midwives in the government's proposal.

''To my recollection, the last time we were offered anything like this was way back in the late nineties when nurses were given the opportunity to salary sacrifice,'' Ms Miragaya said.

''At this stage, they've rejected the offer outright. They felt it was insulting and disrespectful.''
Ms Miragaya said nurses were open to negotiations and would not discuss the possibility of industrial action before the current agreement expired on June 30. ''Come the 30th of June I'm quite sure that is something the membership will consider,'' she said.

The federation said it was also concerned the government would try to diminish existing workplace entitlements and it wanted all entitlements maintained.