Nurses open beds after pay agreement with government

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation members had closed one in four beds and stopped one in four elective surgeries from going ahead in ramped-up industrial action on Friday morning.

However, the union called off the action within eight hours after the parties reached an in-principle agreement.

Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said the deal included an "improved wages, allowances and conditions offer".

"The commitment of our members across the state to their campaign has sharpened everyone's focus on these negotiations and (the union) was always prepared to work around the clock," she said.

Members will continue to participate in stage one of their industrial action, which involves wearing union T-shirts at work, refusing to work overtime and not completing paperwork.

Full details of the deal have not been made public and the union will keep the offer under wraps until a statewide meeting at 2pm on Monday.

"I look forward to outlining the detailed in-principle agreement to ANMF members who have worked so hard to get us to this position," Ms Fitzpatrick said.

The agreement was reached after intensive negotiations, a state government spokesperson said.

"The Allan Labor government is pleased to have reached an in-principle agreement with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation to deliver a fair deal to our hardworking nurses and midwives," they said.

The federation had previously rejected a three per cent pay rise with an annual $1500 payment.

The state's ambulance union is locked in negotiations over their new deal and is in the first stage of industrial action, with members due to vote on additional action in the coming weeks.

Australian Associated Press