The nurses union is asking donors to the Royal Flying Doctor Service to pressure the organisation as part of industrial action against the charity.
It is the first time it has conducted industrial action against the charity in Queensland.
“This is a bit of a watershed moment,” union secretary Kate Veach said.
“I think with a service like the RFDS, which is a service that is well loved in communities, it is a bit of a shock that we’ve had to get to this stage.”
The Queensland nursing and midwives union says its RFDS members are paid less than any nurse working in Queensland health, despite often better qualifications, very long hours, a broader scope of practice and worse conditions. The union believes they are paid as much as 26% less than other nurses across the state.
Enterprise bargaining negotiations began in April, with the union pushing for 12-hour rosters, additional overtime pay, and better role definition for its members.
During the industrial action, which began on Thursday, nurses will call on past and present donors to send RFDS Queensland management a letter supporting better pay and conditions for nurses. They will not participate in fundraising events. Services will not be affected.
RFDS executive general manager of nursing and clinical services, Les Poole, said the service is working with its nurses to “provide them with the best offer possible”.
He said they had offered a 13% pay increase over three years, backdated to July.
“As a charity that has delivered the finest care to the furthest corner for almost a century, we also need to make sure any agreement is affordable for the RFDS,” he said.
“We remain committed to working in good faith with the QNMU so that we can reach agreement with our nurses and increase what we currently pay them as soon as possible.”
The RFDS did not respond to questions about the effect of the industrial action on fundraising.
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Veach said much of the donor money that funds the RFDS comes from ordinary rural people giving a few dollars a week.
“What we’re saying is we want to engage with those people who also support the RFDS and we want them to support one of the key workforces within that which is the nurses,” she said.
“To encourage them to write to the board and say, ‘hey, are you able to make this situation different? Can you give the nurses a fair go?’”
Veach said the demand on the service had dramatically increased in recent years, putting more pressure on flight nurses.
She said her members were looking for more respect from their employer.
“They are often the only flight nurse on a plane,” she said.
“They service communities near and far, and they do emergencies, but they also do clinics, they really have a wide span.”
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