Bargaining Update: Victorian Nurses and Midwifery Agreement

Welcome to our second EBA meeting for the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2024 - 2028, held on June 4th, 2024. Adam Collyer, our lead negotiator, will provide updates and insights throughout the process. 

Introduction and Purpose

Adam Collyer introduced himself and outlined the meeting's purpose, focusing on two main objectives:

1. State of Play Update: Discussing the current external activities and progress.
2. Log of Claims Presentation: Reviewing and gathering feedback on the claims to ensure nothing is missed.

Recent Developments

Adam attended a compulsory conference triggered by an application for protected action under the Fair Work Act. The conference allowed each party to present their positions, leading to the ANMF's protected action. Despite provisional agreements on some terms, the ANMF members did not accept them, necessitating further negotiations.

Key Issues and Proposals

The meeting addressed several critical areas:

1. Wages Policy: The Victorian State Government's policy caps wage increases at 3% per annum, with a 0.5% lump sum payment as a cost of living incentive. This policy impacts not only nurses but also paramedics, police, and teachers.
2. Financial Incentives: The proposed agreement includes limited financial incentives, such as a $1,000 stability retention payment. Details about other allowances will be clarified in upcoming meetings with VHIA.
3. Consultation and Health and Safety: A new clause is proposed to require employers to consult and provide risk assessments for any changes impacting health and safety.
4. Personal and Carers Leave: Increasing the entitlement to personal leave single days without a certificate from three to five.
5. Long Service Leave: Proposal to calculate long service leave based on actual earnings rather than the base rate, aligning with the Victorian Long Service Leave Act.
6. PPE Allowance: Requesting a PPE allowance for the use of N95 or similar masks due to potential health impacts from prolonged use.
7. Workload and Skill Mix: Addressing issues with skill mix and staff fatigue by proposing retention incentives and comparable pay rates to other states, particularly Queensland.
8. Rostering and Allowances: Clarifying definitions and entitlements related to double shifts and crib time to ensure fair compensation.

Feedback and Next Steps

Members raised several questions and suggestions, including:

• Patient Caps for Shared Care: Addressing patient caps for nurses managing GP shared care.
• Rest Time for PPE Use: Proposing increased rest time for staff working in PPE.
• Redeployment: Concerns about frequent redeployment and the ability to refuse it.
• Additional Entitlements for Senior Staff: Exploring additional benefits for staff over 60.

Upcoming Meetings

Monthly meetings will continue on the first Tuesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for July 2nd, 2024. If necessary, meetings can be held more frequently to address urgent updates.

Conclusion

Thank you to everyone who participated. Your input is invaluable in shaping our bargaining strategy. Please reach out via email if you have further questions or suggestions. We look forward to our continued collaboration to achieve a fair and beneficial agreement for all.

For any questions or additional information, please email hotline@npav.asn.au.

Stay tuned for updates and meeting reminders.