The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victoria Branch) has called a statewide meeting of members to consider the Allan Government's offer of a 28.4 per cent (compounded) wage increase by the end of the fourth year.
The offer is an in-principle agreement subject to both cabinet approval and member endorsement.
It follows intensive discussions between the ANMF and senior representatives from the Department of Health and the Allan Government and 48 days of protected industrial action which began on Tuesday 7 May.
ANMF members will meet on Wednesday 26 June in Melbourne and eight satellite venues in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Shepparton, Traralgon, Wangaratta and Warrnambool.
On 20 May members rejected an offer which included government wages policy of 12 per cent, cash bonuses and an additional gender equity uplift of between 5.5 and 13.3 per cent based on the expected outcome of ANMF's Fair Work Commission aged care work value case. The offer was rejected due to a number of uncertainties.
The offer to be considered on Wednesday realises the gender equity increase the Fair Work Commission expert panel has forecast in ANMF's aged care work value case, provides dates for all increases and restores relativities between all classifications by the end of the agreement.
The offer does not include cash payments. In response to member feedback, this money has been included in the wage increases and contributes to the overall 28.4% wage increase and other improvements.
ANMF (Vic Branch) Secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said 'Nurses and midwives are looking for an offer that respects the work they do, rewards the work they have done through the pandemic and delivers on a significant majority of our members' claims.
'We believe this offer protects our current career structure and will significantly help to retain and recruit a permanent nursing and midwifery workforce and rebuild our health system.'
The offer also retains all of the new and improved allowances and penalties and improved terms and conditions in the earlier offer. Key improvements in addition to the wage increases include:
- a change of ward allowance to compensate nurses and midwives when they are moved from their base ward and encourage employers to stop using redeployment as a business-as-usual rostering practice
- improved night shift penalties for permanent nurses and midwives
- improved on-call and recall allowances
- a 92% increase to the qualifications allowance by the end of the agreement
- a right to disconnect clause – a new process for employers to follow to fill shifts so that nurses and midwives are not continually contacted to work shifts they are not seeking
- improved access to flexible working arrangements recognising that nurses and midwives being available 24 hours seven days a week is a so-called 'inherent requirement' but not a reasonable business ground to refuse a request for a flexible working arrangement
- the qualifying period for parental leave will reduce from six months to zero
- interstate public sector nurses and midwives relocating to Victoria will have their service recognised for the purposes of personal leave and long service leave.
ANMF will not make
