NOT JUST A LABOR OF LOVE - INDUSTRIAL-ACTION BY NURSES IN AUSTRALIA

Deciding to take industrial action or go on strike has been an issue o f great concern for nurses. While it is typical for most groups of wor kers to undertake industrial action in the pursuit of better wages and working conditions or improved quality of services, historically, nur ses have found this a difficult course to pursue. Frequently, nurses h ave been caught between acceptance of themselves as ordinary workers a nd a professional model, which has carried with it the implication tha t a profession does not engage in industrial action (although, in real ity, professions, including medical practitioners, have undertaken ind ustrial action). Nurses in Australia have gone on strike, although wid espread industrial action was not undertaken until the 1980s, when len gthy industrial campaigns, including strikes, were used In an effort t o achieve enhanced status for the professional improved career paths a nd increased salaries. While debate remains about the efficacy of this course of action, large numbers of nurses have been involved in these campaigns. Significant changes in salaries and status were achieved i n the 1980s.