Vic: Health unions tackle violence in workplace

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2001
Vic: Health unions tackle violence in workplace

Health unions are joining forces to tackle what they say is an endemic problem of assaults
in the medical profession.

In a recent survey of 6,000 psychiatric and disability nurses belonging to the Health
and Community Services Union, 84 per cent say they'd been assaulted at work in the past
year.

HACSU and the Australian Nursing Federation are working with the Victorian government
and public hospitals to come up with a code of practice dealing with violence in the workplace.

The issue is set to go before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission today.

HACSU assistant state secretary DAVID STEPHENS says nurses report an average of 26
physical assaults per year and 300 cases of verbal abuse.

ANF assistant state secretary HANNAH SELLARS says the unions want zero tolerance of
violence and aggression in the workplace.

But the Health Services Union of Australia, which represents clerks, orderlies and
cleaners, says its members bear the brunt of the violence.

HSUA state president PAULINE FEGAN says everyone feels sorry for nurses but nobody
feels sorry for a poor cleaner who gets punched in the jaw for protecting a nurse.

AAP RTV hmg/jlw/alt/jn/alt/jx

KEYWORD: NURSES (MELBOURNE)

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