ANMF continues enterprise agreement negotiations with private acute employers.
St Vincent’s Private Hospital
ANMF has had two EBA negotiation meetings with St Vincent’s Private Hospital and three well-attended member meetings. In a meeting on 22 March, members resolved to report to management that workloads at all four campuses were unsustainable and unsafe.
Nurses are working excessive amounts of overtime and double shifts, are fatigued and feel unsafe driving home.
Job Reps have been vocal in representing members’ concerns and ANMF has invited members to respond to a survey seeking information about the conditions that are important to them over the next four years.
Epworth Private Hospital
Epworth Private Hospital members have voted to accept an agreement which includes a 9 per cent pay rise over four years.
By the end of the agreement, which has been submitted to the Fair Work Commission for approval, Epworth wage increases will be consistent with those of the 2020–24 public sector agreement.
The agreement also includes:
- access to long service leave at seven years by 1 July 2023
- superannuation on paid parental leave from 1 July 2021
- access to paid parental leave where a child is stillborn after 20 weeks gestation, or dies after birth
- an increase to 20 days paid family violence leave
- improved penalty provisions where nurses and midwives are required to work through their meal break or remain available or are recalled when on their meal break.
For other entitlements under the agreement, Epworth members should check their emails for newsflashes.
St John of God
At a meeting on 17 March, members working for St John of God unanimously carried a motion that the employer reconsider ANMF’s demand that a 9 per cent wage increase be paid in three annual instalments of 3 per cent starting from 1 July 2021.
The motion welcomed St John of God’s willingness to continue discussions over workload and occupational health and safety provisions but noted ‘with extreme disappointment’ that its offer failed to address members’ concerns about excessive and unsafe workloads, the professional recognition and status of nurses employed in home care nursing services, and the erosion of wage parity with the public sector nurses’ rates of pay.
HealtheCare
ANMF and HealtheCare reached agreement in late 2020 that the notice of employee representational rights (NERR) would be issued in early 2021, after which negotiations would commence. ANMF expects that HealtheCare will issue the NERR to members shortly.
Jessie McPherson Private Hospital
A rollover agreement for nurses and midwives working at the Jessie McPherson Private Hospital until 31 March 2021 was approved by the Fair Work Commission on 9 March. The agreement included a 3 per cent pay increase, backdated to the first pay period on or after 1 April 2020.
Malvern Private Hospital
ANMF has served the members’ log of claims and has had the first bargaining meeting with Malvern Private Hospital.
Cabrini Health
Cabrini Health has issued the notice of employee representational rights and formal meetings between ANMF and Cabrini about the enterprise agreement have commenced.
Healthscope
Members working for Healthscope were sent a newsflash on 25 March advising them that enterprise agreement negotiations were about to begin. Online member meetings have been scheduled to prepare a comprehensive log of claims. Healthscope confirmed with ANMF that the notice of employee representational rights would be issued before Easter.
Ramsay
ANMF has had 10 meetings with Ramsay, which has stated it will be in a better position to provide a wages offer in July 2021. In the meantime, ANMF, Ramsay and HACSU will focus on drafting an agreement.
Ramsay has confirmed it will provide the next wage increase to nurses and midwives by no later than the first pay period on or after 30 September 2021.
