March 2026
The ANMF South Australian Branch (ANMF) has taken decisive action to protect members’ rights at the North Eastern Community Hospital (NECH) after staff raised serious concerns about newly issued employment contracts.
Late last year, NECH informed workers they would receive updated contracts that included a 3.5 per cent wage increase. However, members quickly alerted the ANMF to troubling changes buried within the documents — most notably, a clause that would lock part‑time nurses into fixed rosters with set days and times. This condition was entirely incompatible with the flexible, responsive nature of endoscopy work, where adaptability is essential.
ANMF officers attended information sessions between the employer and staff and subsequently advised members not to sign the contracts due to the significant risks and restrictions they posed.
The ANMF formally wrote to NECH leadership outlining members’ concerns, including issues with revised position descriptions and new terms affecting secondary employment, staff privacy, medical information requirements, remuneration, and workplace surveillance.
Following sustained pressure, NECH conceded that linking a wage increase to the acceptance of new employment contracts was misleading. The employer also agreed to remove the fixed‑roster requirement for part‑time employees, an important win for members and a clear acknowledgment of the ANMF’s advocacy.
While the employer agreed to amend several elements of the proposed contracts in response to member concerns, the ANMF maintained its firm position that the revised contracts did not deliver meaningful benefits to staff and that no worker should feel pressured or obligated to sign them.
The ANMF secured explicit assurances from NECH that members would not face any adverse consequences for choosing not to sign the new contracts, an important safeguard and a direct result of collective action.
This outcome represents a hard‑fought victory for members’ rights. It was achieved through their vigilance, willingness to speak up, and strong collaboration with their ANMF representatives.
ANMF CEO/Secretary Adjunct Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM said members at NECH should be proud of the result they achieved.
“I am exceptionally proud of members at the NECH for getting in touch with their ANMF representatives and seeking clarity, because their initiative sparked meaningful change,” she said.
“We will always stand with nurses and midwives who feel coerced or misled, and we will continue working with them, and with employers to ensure fair, transparent and mutually beneficial working conditions that support both staff wellbeing and safe, high‑quality patient care.”