Epworth Medical Imaging nurses stopped work for four hours in Geelong from 9am on Thursday June 5 to protest for a lead apron allowance and decent wage increases.
Nurses can be required to wear an apron that is up to 10kg for three to four hours a day. Nurses in radiology wear lead aprons to protect themselves from radiation exposure during imaging procedures.
Nurses said they are asking for the same entitlement many of their peers already get paid.
Nurses are also campaigning for a 4.5 per cent wage increase, just 0.5 per cent higher than what is currently being offered.
The stop-work action marks an escalation of the protected industrial action that began in April.
Protected industrial action has included wearing campaign T-shirts at work, talking to patients about the campaign, and bans on on-call and overtime as well as non-urgent meetings.
“Epworth Medical Imaging nurses deserve what other nurses – including at Epworth Healthcare’s other sites – are entitled to,” Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Vic Branch) acting secretary Maddy Harradence said.
“Epworth Medical Imaging nurses are taking protected industrial action as a last resort because Epworth HealthCare need to progress negotiations.
“We reassure consumers and patients that there will be no risk to their health, safety and welfare. There may be some disruptions while nurses campaign for a fair deal and for this we apologise.”
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) has been negotiating a new enterprise agreement on behalf of nurses at Epworth Medical Imaging since late 2024.
