Congratulations
A massive turnout of members attended a Statewide meeting of ANF members, accepting a settlement to our EBA dispute. Importantly this settlement did not result in the employers achieving any of their main objectives, such as reducing nurse patient ratios, introduction of nurse assistants, multiple short shifts, abolition of change of shift allowance and removal of senior nursing positions.
All action is now ceased, all docking of pay is to be stopped immediately, and all legal action has been withdrawn.
EBA negotiations are proceeding positively for our mental health nurse members, and are also progressing well with the Royal District Nursing Service and Red Cross Blood Service, who have both completed a secret ballot with around 80% of members voting, and of those more than 90% voting in favour of an industrial campaign, if needed.
The outcome for Victorian public sector hospital, aged care and community nurses is fantastic, and includes:
Docking of nurses pay
All members are reminded to ensure that you keep specific details relating to all hours docked since the commencement of the industrial action, as well as copies of pay slips, time sheets and rosters.
The ANF has been approached by nurses, community members and other unions wishing to contribute to a fund to assist nurses who had their pay docked during the dispute. Donations to the Victorian Nurses Welfare & Hardship Fund' can be made:
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online at www.fundnursingproperly.com.au or
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send a cheque payable to ‘Victorian Nurses Welfare & Hardship Fund' and send to ANF (Victorian Branch), Box 12600 A'Beckett Street PO, Melbourne VIC 8006
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deposit donations directly at any National Australia Branch: BSB 083 352 Account Number 859 680 424
What has been achieved?
Ratios - minimum of 200 additional nurses
All existing ratios have been kept. The following improved ratios are also to be introduced:
Post and Ante Natal wards to have new ratios of 1 nurse to 4 patients plus in charge on the day and evening shifts, and 1 nurse to 6 patients on night shift.
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Level 1 EDs have new ratios of 1 nurse to 3 cubicles, plus in charge, plus a triage nurse on all shifts and a second triage nurse on the evening shift, and in all but four Level 1 EDs, resuscitation rooms are to be staffed in addition to these ratios.
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New Level 2 EDs with ratios of 1 nurse to 3 cubicles, plus in charge and a triage nurse on all shifts
Bairnsdale Hospital, Rosebud Hospital, Swan Hill District Hospital, Sale Hospital, Royal Women's Hospital, West Gippsland Hospital, Echuca Regional Hospital, Warrnambool Hospital, Williamstown Hospital, Wodonga Hospital, Wangaratta Base Hospital, Wimmera Base Hospital, Sandringham Hospital
Kilmore Hospital, Orbost Health Service, Wonthaggi Hospital, Benalla Hospital, Colac Hospital, Maryborough Hospital, Portland Hospital
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Rural EDs with between 5000 to 7000 presentations are to have a minimum of 2 EFT Division 1 registered nurse dedicated to the emergency department in addition to ward ratios and other nurse staffing requirements.
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300 Additional Nurses - The Government has agreed to an injection of an additional 300 nurses beyond the 200 nurses above that ANF believes will address the 50% rule on day and evening shifts in particular. An allocation process will target affected wards and units as soon as possible, with implementation commencing in May next year. Our data indicates that these additional nurses will assist in improving ratios in Rehabilitation, GEM, mixed wards, aged care wards and medical or surgical wards in specific hospitals where the undermining of ratios is taking place.
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Portland and Mt Alexander to move to Level 3 ratios.
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West Gippsland and Mansfield Hospitals to move to an 8:8:10 roster.
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A Division 2 Traineeship programme for residential aged care (based on Cobram Hospital model).
Classifications
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All Associate Nurse Unit Managers across Victoria enter at the same level, with two increments. Rates have been reset to create a greater gap between CNS rate and the ANUM rate; and between the ANUM rate and Nurse Unit Manager rate.
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All Nurse Unit Managers across Victoria enter at the same level, with three increments. Rates have been increased substantially. Progression will be automatic and not subject to review.
- All Research Nurses, Hospital in the Home Nurses and Post Acute Care nurses must now be classified at a minimum Grade 3B, and any in-charge position classified as Nurse Unit Manager. Nurses are not in-charge, but have additional responsibilities to be classified at Grade 4A.
- Division 2 nurse entry level is now moving to a minimum pay point 2 where the course includes medication endorsement, and Pay Point 3 for Diploma. In addition the medication qualification allowance will continue to be payable even where the course is undertaken as part of training
- Trainee Division 2 Nurses will now be covered by the EBA, with minimum weekly rates. Trainee wages: 80% year 1 / 85% year 2 of Div 2 year 1 rate.
Leave
- You can now have up to a 13 week break (in addition to annual leave) between public sector employers and still transfer your long service leave
- Parental Leave: Paid parental leave has increased to 9 weeks from October, and increases to 10 weeks from October 2008.
- Purchased Leave - A 48/52 system will be introduced where by mutual agreement you can ‘purchase' additional paid leave by spreading the cost across the year.
- Volunteer Leave. All employers will develop a policy in relation to nurses who are CFA or SES volunteers to enable them to participate in local emergencies without loss of pay
- 4 clear days - There will now be two options for compensating nurses who do not receive four clear days off per fortnight, both compensate employees with additional leave.
Wages
New wages schedule
Other items
- Childcare expenses to be reimbursed where working hours change without 24 hours' notice
- A clarified fortnightly telephone allowance to reimburse on-call nurses for phone rental
Further protections
- Importantly, the new agreement will be a multi-employer agreement, and will include all existing entitlements from our expired EBA, the Award, the Midwifery Caseload industrial framework agreement and organisational change requirements. Employers were seeking 143 separate enterprise agreements. The multi employer agreement ensures all nurses in Victoria share the same terms and conditions.
- Existing OH&S provisions have been maintained with improvements reflected in the revamped 2004 Occupational Health &Safety Act.
- Member disputes arising under the new Agreement can be taken by ANF to the AIRC, which if unable to be resolved can allow the AIRC to decide the outcome.
- New Agreement made after the introduction of WorkChoices can be unilaterally terminated by the Employer after the expiry by giving 90 days notice. Our Agreement will have a clause which requires your Employer to maintain all your conditions if they terminate our Agreement. The Agreement will can also be varied by agreement with the ANF.
- The new Agreement will be overseen by Workplace Implementations Committees similar to those in place when we won ratios in 2000. These committees will be at workplace level and involve management and Job Reps implementing the agreement at you workplace, including insuring all current conditions have been implemented. The workplace implementation Committees will be overseen by a Central Committee involving employers, the ANF and the AIRC.
Where to now?
Our membership during this campaign has not only grown in numbers, but also in strength. Nurses have never been more united, in circumstances where in many hospitals Government sought to divide us through docking of pay and intimidation. While the fight for a new EBA may be over, this strength will no doubt need to be harnessed throughout coming months to ensure that our new Agreement is fully implemented, including items not properly implemented from the 2004 EBA.
Everyone at ANF House and our regional offices would like to congratulate every member involved in the campaign.
(please note that the information in this document, and the wages sheet, are subject to final checking. This information contains the settlement as based on information provided up 25 minutes before the Statewide meeting on 25 October 2007. Updates will be provided as the exact detail are confirmed)
