A state-wide mass meeting of Victorian nurses has been called for November 21 to discuss their industrial action demanding better pay and conditions, which has so far closed around 1000 beds.

The ANF Victorian branch has organised buses to leave major hospitals in metro Melbourne and from major regional centres for the 2pm meeting at Festival Hall.

The dispute has continued with two separate proceedings underway in Fair Work Australia.

One was a conciliation meeting to negotiate the EBA between the ANF, Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association and the State Government.

The other was the government’s application to terminate the industrial action amid claims the bans are jeopardising patient safety.

Nurses have defended their action, stating beds have only been closed where there is no threat to patient safety or welfare.

The bans have begun taking their toll on an already stretched hospital system, with more than 300 elective surgeries postponed and lengthy waits for beds in emergency departments.

Nurses began closing one in three hospital beds on November 12 in their bid for an 18.5 per cent pay rise over three years and eight months.

The Baillieu Government has offered a 2.5 per cent rise per year.

The industrial action comes after revelations the government planned to cut 1758 nurses and shave $105 million from its budget, with the end of fixed nurse-to-patient ratios, introducing shorter shifts and replacing some nurses with health assistants.

The bans do not include neo-natal and paediatric patients, haemodialysis and haematology patients, maternity and oncology patients, palliative care patients, terminations of pregnancy, intensive care and coronary care units, and high dependency patients.