In a move aimed at pressuring MPs in marginal seats, the Australian Nurses Federation doorknocked 19,000 Bentleigh households and gained 11,000 signatures on their petition to end the dispute.

Bentleigh backbencher Elizabeth Miller holds the slimmest majority in the Victorian parliament, winning her seat by just 522 votes in the 2010 state election.

The ANF Victoria branch has more than 600 members in Bentleigh. It has vowed to continue lobbying local residents in an effort to “turn up the heat” on the Liberal MLA and gain support for their industrial action.

The federation claims proposed reforms threaten nurses’ jobs and work conditions.

ANF Victoria branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said members were committed to returning to Bentleigh because the sitting

MP was a former nurse.

“We were welcomed by the Bentleigh community and they were very disappointed and concerned that their local member was supporting the government, especially since she only holds her seat by a small number of votes,” she said.

Ms Miller said she respected the valuable contribution nurses made but declined to comment on the ANF’s plans to continue lobbying residents. “I strongly support an outcome to the current EBA negotiations that is fair to nurses while improving outcomes for Victorian patients,” she said.

Ms Fitzpatrick said residents were keen to understand the issues affecting nurses and midwives, including changes to nurse–patient ratios and proposed changes to shift work structures.

“We’ll continue to fight these reforms, which are going to save the government $40 million a year,” she said. “We’ll be returning to Bentleigh before the next election.”