Victorian Nurses Bargaining Update 03/07/24

Adam Collyer, our lead negotiator for the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2024 - 2028, shares insights from the latest bargaining meeting update, held on July 2nd, 2024.

Recent Developments

Last week, we received the Heads of Agreement (HoA) document from the VHIA. This document is a summary of the most recent settlement offer made by the VHIA, which outlines the terms agreed upon by the ANMF and the VHIA during their negotiations. This document has been endorsed by ANMF members, and we are now seeking feedback from our members on whether it meets all our claims and satisfies your expectations.

We expect to receive a copy of the draft agreement this week, which will allow us to review all of the proposed changes in detail and gain a better understanding of their impact.

Communication and Feedback

We have shared the HoA document with all members involved in the negotiations. If you haven't received it, please let us know. Your feedback is crucial, as we aim to represent your interests accurately in these discussions.

There are 68 items in the HoA. We encourage you all to review it closely as the changes proposed will impact employees differently depending on their role, classification and mode of employment. 

Key Items in the Heads of Agreement

• Definitions and Clauses: Minor changes to definitions and clause wording have been made throughout the EA which aim to provide greater clarity and improve understanding of entitlements, and to resolve issues which have been identified (e.g. enrolled nurses' definition, adoptions, meaning of a year of experience, meaning of a weeks pay) 
• Fair Work Commission Compliance: Changes are regularly being made to the Fair Work Act and there are a number of changes which are necessary to ensure the agreement is compliant ie. increase to family violence leave
• Uncontroversial Inclusions: There are a number of inclusions  such as anti-discrimination and gender-based standing committees, which are generally uncontroversial.
• Consultation Clause: Changes to recognise temporary major change in this provision, and changes to clarify the OHS term, however we are yet to understand if the changes will address our claim requiring employers to engage in risk assessments for occupational health and safety matters which arise due to major change.
•  
• Managing Conduct and Performance: Enhanced protections for staff, ensuring transparency and evidence sharing during investigations.
• Flexible Work Arrangements and Casual Employment: Updates reflecting Fair Work Act changes and standardising casual rates for weekends.
• Climate Change Clause: A new clause recognising climate change has been proposed. We have concerns around the possibility this will lead to the Fair Work Commission being required to arbitrate disputes which may arise out of this provision. We feel this is outside of their scope and subsequently suggest this might be better as a policy which sits outside the EA.
• Return to permanent night shift: The HoA proposes a return staff being able to agree to work permanent night shift, with proposed penalties should staff be required to return to day shift.
• Gender Affirmation Leave: A new provision is proposed in line with the existing provision in the Victorian Public Sector Agreement. We have sought further detail around whether the agreement will provide a definition for ‘Gender Affirmation’ to avoid confusion, however VHIA has indicated there will be no definition. Our concerns are again that the Fair Work Commission will be required to arbitrate disputes around gender and that they are poorly equipped to do this.
• Further information required: A large number of the items in the HoA will require a review of the proposed wording in the draft agreement before we fully understand their impact.

Wages and Allowances

The wage increases are structured as follows:

• Annual 3% increases starting from June 2024, with subsequent increases in May 2025, May 2026, and May 2027.
• Additional wage increases at different times will occur to align with potential changes in the nursing and aged care awards, aimed at ensuring Victorian nurses' wages remain competitive.
• A substantial 9.43% wage increase is proposed at the end of the agreement in November 2027, resulting in a total wage increase of 26% over the agreement's term. We have been unable to determine the basis for the 28.4% increase which is being claimed by VHIA and ANMF. We will seek further clarification.
• Our observations are that a large portion of the wage increases will come toward the end of the agreement, which will offer little assistance to Nurses and Midwives struggling with cost of living pressures now, which is exacerbated by the lack of a wage increase in 2023.

Additional Insights from Member Feedback

During our recent discussion, members highlighted various concerns and considerations:

• Comparative Wage Analysis: Significant disparities in public sector wages across states, with Victoria lagging behind others. For instance, Queensland offers nearly 20% more for RN1 equivalents, highlighting the need for competitive wage adjustments.
• Long Service Leave Provisions: Discussions continue regarding the calculation method for long service leave, aiming for fairer treatment reflecting actual earnings rather than just base rates.

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.