Olson leaves his mark on nursing union

During a career spanning more than two decades, Australian Nursing Federation boss Mark Olson was the subject of many favourable and unfavourable headlines.

But his decision to stare down premier Colin Barnett over a pay dispute in 2013, will be at the top of the list as he considers his legacy, after deciding to call time on a 24-year reign over the union.

In the heat of an election battle - and with the Barnett government in caretaker mode - no one gave the nurses any hope of securing the huge 14 per cent pay rise they were demanding across three years.

Two weeks before the election, the premier said he had no option other than to capitulate.

The Australian Medical Association had warned that if the nurses followed through with a threat of industrial action then "lives would be at risk".

Mr Olson has been the union secretary since 1998, and leaves knowing membership has grown from 7,600 to the current 38,192.

"It's time for a change," Mr Olson told 6PR. "You have to recognise when the ANF members and the health system needs somebody new."

He says he'd planned to retire earlier, but when Covid hit he knew the pressure would be on his members.

Along the way, Mr Olson has faced internal criticism, culminating in Worksafe investigating bullying claims levelled at him.

He insists that he's not leaving to avoid another ANF election and possible defeat.

"I've had six contested elections," he said.

"My term finishes on September 29."

He said he plans to be involved in the next round of pay negotiations, which sees the state government offering a maximum increase of 2.75 per cent.

As part of the negotiations, the union wants guarantees on nurse to patient workload ratios.

"It's not about pouring in more money, it's about transparency," he said.

"I'm getting stories at the moment about nurses coming to work and two of them having to deal with 25 patients on a night shift. That's not sustainable." 

He listed his push for paid parental leave in 2001, and achieving the highest shift penalties for nurses in Australia in 2007, as two major achievements.

The union's assets have grown from $1 million in 1998, to $46 million now.

He has seen seven health ministers come and go and pointed out that none "has risen to the dizzy heights of premier".

"Sorry, Amber-Jade," he quipped, in reference to the current health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson.

"I think the most effective was Jim McGinty," he said.

"He had a very capable man with him called Danny Cloghan.

"They pushed through reforms that were sorely needed."

He chose not to name the worst minister he'd seen during his time.

"The world has changed and I think the public needs to understand that the ever ballooning costs of health care at some point has to be rationalised and reigned in," he said.

"That will make whoever is health minister very unpopular."