Welcome to the Medical Scientists Association of Victoria (MSAV) the Victorian Psychologists Association Inc (VPA Inc) and the Association of Hospital Pharmacists (AHP)website.

MSAV, VPA Inc and AHP are the only unions in Victoria which specifically look after the industrial interests of medical scientists (MSAV), psychologists (VPA Inc) and hospital pharmacists (AHP). MSAV, VPA Inc and AHP are component Associations of the Health Services Union (HSU) Victoria No. 4 Branch.

Union Reps Training - Introductory Course

We are pleased to advise that a Union Representatives Introductory Course has been organised for July 2013. The level of interest shown in the limited number of spots on the June and August 2013 courses prompted us to try to organise another, and luckily we have been successful in securing the July dates. Follow the link to register.

When: 10 & 11 July 2013
Where: Level 2, 62 Lygon Street, Carlton

If you are interested please register here.

Note: most reps will be eligible for paid leave to attend the training.

Your Rights in Brief

Yes. The new agreement allows you to work full-time hours, or 76 hours a fortnight, over nine days, by agreement with the employer. If you work on the tenth day you must be paid for all hours worked at overtime rates, or be given time in lieu of overtime, also at overtime rates. Alternatively, you can, also by agreement with the employer, work 4 ten hour shifts a week giving you an eight day fortnight. Again you must be paid (or given time in lieu) at overtime rates if you work beyond this.

Have any other questions? Shoot us an email at enquiry@msav.org.au with your query.

Your Rights in Brief is written by Jennie Bremner, an experienced advocate and Senior Industrial Officer.

Persistence Pays Off for part time members at Barwon Health

Despite the clear wording in the public sector agreement, HR at Barwon Health has been refusing to instruct pay officers to pay part-time members who do not work on Saturdays the pro-rata entitlement for the Easter Saturday public holiday. Follow the link to read more.

A number of emails and telephone calls later from the Union and Barwon Health has agreed to make the payments.

Barwon Health is doing an audit to see if the part-time “rostered off” staff have been paid correctly. The back pay should flow soon.

It pays to belong to the Union.

Payment of sign-on bonus and backpay - public sector

We understand that most public health services will be making these payments in the next
payruns prior to the 30^th June 2013, if they have not already paid the sign on bonus and the backpay, and implemented the new pay rates.

Follow the link for more info.

Note that all members who were employed by a public sector employer on 1 November 2012 are entitled to the sign-on bonus of $1500 (pro rata for part-time employees). This includes members who were on any form of paid leave at that date or unpaid maternity leave. If in doubt, contact the office.

Community Health
Negotiations are continuing with the public sector employers and the VHIA over the drafting of the Agreement covering members working in community health. The same rates of pay, pay increases and sign on bonus will apply as in public health services, including the operative date of 1 November 2013. Negotiations have been protracted because of the unavailability of the employer representatives.