The best national nurses’ week is on, with a series of high-profile events being held across Australia, including the inaugural National Nurses Day on Saturday, July 16.
The National Nursers Day is held on a Sunday and features a range of events across the country, including a national day of silence, the annual Australian Nurses Week, and a number of commemorative events, including some that commemorate the last great nurses’ strike.
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The national day itself, however, is not without controversy, with one group claiming to have taken it down after a protest on Monday in Melbourne.
A group called the Victorian Nurses Association (VOA) claimed to have staged a sit-in at the Victorian Parliament building on Monday, claiming it was the last time the VOA would have a meeting in Australia.
It was alleged to have gathered around 2,000 people in the building, and to have spoken to politicians and government officials, claiming to be against the government’s plans to privatise the state’s health service.
The VOA has since deleted its Facebook page, which has been taken down from its website, and told the ABC it was taking down the page for its own safety.
But the VSA also said it would not be backing down and the protest is still going on.
“The VOAs decision to hold a sit in and speak out about the current situation in Victoria is a decision the Victorian community made, and we will continue to stand up for what is right,” it said in a statement.
“We will not be retreating.
We will not back down.
We are standing up for our community and for what we believe is right.
The Victorian Nursess Association has since denied that claim, and has posted a statement on its Facebook site in support of the VWA.”
At this time, the VOAS is not supporting the actions of the Victoria Nurses Union and is working towards finding a solution,” it read.
Topics:health,workers,community-and-society,government-and/or-politics,workers-and–employers,health,nursing,australiaFirst posted July 16, 2019 15:30:26Contact Peter WrightMore stories from Victoria
