VHIA TO SEND OUT A CORRECTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

We have been pointing out to the VHIA since July 2010 that the advice that they have been giving public health services regarding Christmas Day payments to scientists, psychologists and pharmacists and our other classifications in WRONG.

We have notified a dispute in Fair Work Australia regarding the VHIA advice.

This seems to have concentrated the VHIA’s collective mind – three months after we first raised the issue.

Without apology and without admitting that they got it wrong, the VHIA has now conceded that where our members are rostered on Christmas Day they will be entitled to the public holiday penalties which apply under the Public Health Sector (Medical Scientists, Pharmacists and Psychologists) Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2008 -2011.

The current VHIA advice in Bulletin 1559 is that Saturday 25 December 2010 should be treated as an ordinary weekend day for everyone except for rostered nurses. Wrong.

Under our agreement an employee rostered to work Christmas Day is to be paid a minimum of four hours’ wages at the rate of time and a half in addition to being paid for the day, or is to be given time off amounting to one and a half times the time worked, in addition to being paid for the day.

(Note that a person who works on Christmas Day and who also works on the substituted public holiday, which this year is Monday 27 December 2010, is not entitled to the public holiday penalty for the substituted day.)

As with last year, there are 2 Boxing Day holidays this year – Sunday 26 December 2010 and Tuesday 28 December 2010 and public holiday penalties apply on both Boxing Day holidays.

We expect the VHIA to issue another Bulletin shortly to public health services advising them of the entitlements under our agreement. We will be checking to make sure that they get it right before it goes out.