Nurses in Australia have started shutting down a third of the beds in public hospitals in Victoria in a campaign for better pay.
But the Nursing Federation insists the closure of 800 beds will not put patients in danger.
The ABC reports that leaked State cabinet documents have revealed a plan to cut the nursing budget and replace some nurses with less qualified assistants.
The documents also outlined government plans to force the union into arbitration.
The federation wants a pay rise of 18.5% over four years, with no change to current nurse-to-patient ratios.
