The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has lodged a dispute in the Fair Work Commission over concerns staff cuts are going to be made at Australia's fifth-largest aged care provider.
A spokesperson for Bupa Aged Care has told The Weekly Source denied staff were being forced out.
"Over the past 18 months we’ve been trialling new carer and nursing shifts and, as a result of seeing benefits to our residents and their families, we are now looking to make our rosters more consistent across our 57 homes," the Bupa spokespeson said.
"While there will be some changes to individual shifts and/or hours of work that we are working through, there will not be a reduction in overall care staffing."
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation was notified of the changes in March. However, further requests for information from the union were, in Bupa Aged Care's eyes, beyond the scope of the changes, resulting in the FWC action.
Federal Secretary of the ANMF, Annie Butler (pictured), said, “We know that Bupa has been failing to meet the Government’s mandated care minutes in most of its facilities, yet it’s now trying to reduce the rostered hours of frontline staff.
"Bupa is also proposing hybrid new roles such as ‘Wellbeing Carer’, ‘Care Companion’ and ‘Care Therapist’ – we have a right to know what they are and what they will do and whether they will impact vital direct care needs of residents.
"The continuing refusal by Bupa to provide us with the new rosters has resulted in the ANMF lodging a dispute in the FWC, demanding that Bupa come clean on the effect on resident care; which staff are facing cuts to their working hours and why; and how care minutes can still be met under the new rosters.”
A conference between Bupa and the ANMF was held on Tuesday.
Bupa Aged Care was recently the subject of a class action by Echo Law, who allege the operator failed to provide adequate staffing levels in its aged care homes, breaching contractual obligations to residents.
Bupa Aged Care is a subsidiary of Bupa Asia Pacific, which is owned by UK-based Bupa Group.
