Jan,
A wee response- do you know how much it costs the unions to provide members
the industrial cover - award representation in courts, appeals, appearances
at various tribunals etc for members in a union? Its not cheap.
Do you consider union members as hairy chesty warfies or construction
workers carrying placards and chanting? Do you consider by splitting from
union/federation/ association will work for midwives? The strongest union of
all is the AMA!! Do you consider them to be of no value to the health
system?
Another small question are you a midwife?
Barb
----- Original Message -----
From: Jan Robinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Ian & Andrea Quanchi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 7:38 PM
Subject: Re: ANF & MIDWIVES
> Dear Andrea
>
> It is time all professionals that call themselves midwives joined
> their College and quit their association with nursing unions. A trade
> union image is not condusive to having midwives publically recognised
> as professionals in their own right. Unless the ANF is prepared to
> change their name and become the industrial arm for Nurses and
> Midwives (i.e. the ANMF )then quit while you are ahead.
>
> Disputes occuring within workplaces can surely be solved by
> collective industrial bargaining. When I read all the letters on this
> list there are obviously enough midwives in each maternity hospital
> to form a collective and work towards more midwifery choices for
> their patients with an appropriate on-call and flexi-time structure
> to guarantee being able to follow the women through. You don't need a
> union to do that for you, you just need your patients to DEMAND their
> own midwife to follow them through and then guarantee to work with
> them! Take them along to your meetings with the Area Health Authority
> Maternity Advisory Committees, or get representation on the committee
> yourselves.
>
> The College was set up to raise the profile of midwifery in this
> country and it will not be able to achieve this unless all those
> midwives that work in hospitals join up and join the fight for
> professional recognition through legislative change.
>
> The College does have lawyers who can provide legal advice when
> warrented. It's up to us to increase the College membership and
> fast-track the pathway to professional recognition for midwives
> through effective discussion within your local sub-branch and taking
> your concerns to the National Executive via your Branch
> representative. That is the way forward for midwives.
>
> The College has already produced a set of competency standards, has a
> code of ethics, has membership of the ICM ... all the attributes
> necessary for professional advancement and public recognition of
> midwives.
> If you don't see yourself as practising as a professionals with your
> own case-load in the future then you will forever be stuck in the
> fragmented care, shift-work and a well paid job within NURSING.
>
> Encourage your Colleagues to join ACMI today. There should be around
> seven thousand people across the country that could swell the numbers
> and make a difference to midwifery.
>
> Jan Robinson
>
> --
> __________________________________________________________________________
> Jan Robinson Phone/fax: 011+ 61+
> 2+ 9546 4350
> Independent Midwife Practitioner e-mail:
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> 8 Robin Crescent www:
> midwiferyeducation.com.au
> South Hurstville NSW 2221 National Coordinator, ASIM
> __________________________________________________________________________
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