The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) is calling for immediate financial relief for nurses, midwives and aged care workers struggling with cost-of-living pressures fuelled by escalating global conflicts.
ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said health professionals are suffering financially, because unlike many other Australians, their vital frontline work cannot be performed from home, forcing them to absorb rising daily costs, such as fuel, tolls and parking.
"On top of higher mortgages, rents and energy bills, the financial burden of simply getting to and from work is becoming untenable for many of our ANMF members," Ms Butler said.
"In these challenging economic times, many professionals are able to off-set their daily living costs by choosing to work remotely from home, but nurses, midwives and aged care workers must deliver in-person care at hospitals, aged care facilities, community health centres and in people's homes across the country – 24/7.
"Flexible work from home (WFH) arrangements can be a real benefit for many professions, but it's not an option for frontline health professionals, who need to travel to work and cover the cost of skyrocketing fuel and parking out of their own pockets. The past few weeks have been particularly tough for our ANMF members working in rural and regional parts of the country, who, in some cases, are driving hundreds of kilometres a day for work.
"Parking is also a significant, unavoidable financial strain, particularly for our ANMF members in metropolitan areas, who have to pay for on-site parking at public and private hospitals due to safety concerns and the lack of reliable public transport during their early morning, night and weekend shifts.
"The ANMF has long-been calling for parking to be made tax-deductible for nurses and midwives and we believe now, more than ever, it's one way that the Federal Government can use the upcoming Budget to provide our members with some practical financial relief.
"We're also asking employers to play a part, by being considerate and agile and allowing for more flexible working arrangements for our members, which could help minimise peak-hour travel times and reduce toll payments and other big costs like childcare."
About us:
The ANMF, with over 356,000 members, is the industrial and professional voice for nurses, midwives and carers in Australia.
