Nursing aides walk out

A shortage of nursing staff at Greenvale Geriatric Centre near Tullamarine yesterday led to a walkout by 160 nursing aides.

The manager of the centre, Mr Vincent Cahir, said last night that it was difficult to get people to work at the centre because of its isolation.

Mr Peter Holland, a Hospital Employees Federation official, said the union would be holding talks with the State Wages Board in the morning.

He said that minimum Health Commission standards were not being met at the centre with newly employed aides being placed in charge of a ward containing 30 people.

Another dispute, at Western General Hospital, has been settled with the return to work yesterday of 380 general staff including cleaners. catering staff, nursing aides and orderlies.

The workers went on strike on Monday over staffing levels in the hospital’s isolation ward.

Mr Holland said the management had allowed extra hours of daily cleaning in the ward on a trial basis for six weeks.

(the age newspapers)