GOVERNMENT’S OFFER ACCEPTED WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT

The HSU EBA Negotiating Committee has recommended the acceptance of the offer from the Victorian government re the renewal of our public sector enterprise agreements. 

A meeting of members was held at Trades Hall on Thursday 17 April 2008 to consider the offer on wages, conditions and productivity offsets. After a lengthy discussion of the offer, a motion was put and seconded that the offer be accepted. The motion was passed unanimously, including all proxies. We now have an agreement. 

Major features of the agreement are: Wages:

Increase to all classifications and year levels of 2% from 1 January 2008, except that the increase is 4% at the top of Grade 1 and Grade 2 and 3% at the top of Grade 3 and Grade 4. The resultant salaries will then be increased by 3.25% from the same date, I January 2008. There will be 3 further salary adjustments of 3.25% each from 1 January 2009, 1 January 2010 and 1 January 2011. The agreement will expire on 31 December 2011. 

Back pay will be paid back to 1 January 2008. Spreadsheets for each discipline showing the salary increases across the life of the agreement - for medical scientists, psychologists, pharmacists, dietitians, audiologists, medical physicists, clinical perfusionists, & genetic counsellors – are available on the website. Note that you must login to the website first, to be able to access these spreadsheets. Then go to Documents on the LHS side bar, and then to Campaign EB 2007.

Sign on bonus: $1250 will be paid to full-time staff (pro rata to part-time staff) as well as the backpay 

Conditions: Increase in paid maternity leave - 9 weeks from 1 October 2007; 10 weeks from 1 December 2008; substitution of religious holidays permitted; payout of 2 weeks annual leave in excess of 8 weeks at the employee’s request;  Minimum 8 hour break between shifts; working party re rights of private practice for psychologists 

Productivity offsets: Include the introduction of a clause to permit relieving staff to be employed; Removal of the payment of the higher qualification allowances for Graduate Diploma in Behavioural Science, Psychology, Medical Laboratory Science or recognised equivalent qualification for new employees; payment of public holidays for part-time staff to be at single time.  

When will the money flow? We expect to sign a formal Heads of Agreement within 2 weeks. The VHIA will then send out a salary circular to health services. We expect that the wage increases, backpay and sign-on bonus to be paid by the end of May 2008. 

Congratulations to members for the strong campaign. Particular thanks are due to the members who took protected industrial action and to the job representatives at those sites. 

MANY THANKS, TOO, TO THE MEMBERS WHO WERE ON THE HSU#4 EBA NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE Peter Wells, Damian McVeigh, Max Cowey, Maria Bisignano, Jacqui Bailey & Frank Gagliardi (MSAV) Belinda Jude & Stephen Edwards (VPA) and Victor Reginato (AHP). Special thanks to those who attended conciliation – Peter, Damian, Max, Maria, Frank and Victor.  Jennie, Heidi and I could not have done without you. 

Members Meetings at the Workplace We will be contacting job representatives to organise meetings of members at worksites over the next two to three weeks to discuss the details of the new agreement.