Victoria Nurses Strike (1985) On this day in 1985, following a breakdown in negotiations with the government, thousands of nurses in Victoria, Australia went on an indefinite, state-wide strike...
Victoria Nurses Strike (1985) On this day in 1985, following a breakdown in negotiations with the government, thousands of nurses in Victoria, Australia went on an indefinite, state-wide strike...
Victoria Nurses Strike (1985)
Thu Oct 17, 1985
On this day in 1985, thousands of nurses in Victoria, Australia went on an indefinite, state-wide strike for the first time in the state's history.
The strike was preceded by a breakdown in negotiations between the nurses' union, which was demanding a pay increase, and Health Minister David White. On October 11th, nurses held a meeting where they agreed to go strike the following week indefinitely.
On October 17th, they picketed hospitals, handed out leaflets to people on the street, and collected money. Most of them had never been on strike before, but they stood their ground in the face of widespread media criticism and outrage from government officials.
The strike ended after five days in only a partial victory for the workers. The government agreed to cooperate on some demands regarding staffing, but lower level nurses would get no wage increases - they would have to wait for arbitration. The following year, thousands of nurses in Victoria would go on strike on October 31st, but this time for fifty days.
- Date: 1985-10-17
- Learn More: libcom.org, libcom.org.
- Tags: #Labor.
- Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org