Backpaid laundry allowance: ANMF win for mental health nurse members at Northern Health

2 February 2026

After advocacy by ANMF, mental health nurses at Northern Health will now be paid the laundry allowance entitlement, as per cl.90.3 of the Victorian Public Mental Health Services Enterprise Agreement 2020–2024 and (when approved by the Fair Work Commission) its 2024–2028 replacement.

This builds on the previous achievement in 2025 by Northern Health members employed under the general public sector nurses and midwives EBA raising underpayment concerns with ANMF. These concerns related to their entitlement to a laundry allowance that Northern Health was not paying.

ANMF initiated a case in the Federal Court and successfully settled the matter to deliver a significant back payment to members. We also sought a commitment from Northern Health that the back payment would also apply to our members in mental health.

ANMF is now pleased to confirm that Northern Health will be back paying the laundry allowance to its mental health nurses back to July 2022 – the date when Northern Health took over mental health services from Royal Melbourne Hospital.

ANMF remains committed to ensuring all members are repaid in full and that appropriate penalties are achieved. If you have any concerns or questions about your payment or the application of your EBA in your workplace, please contact us through our Member Assistance form.

This form allows you to submit your query 24 hours a day, seven days a week and to attach relevant documentation and evidence. It links your query to your member portal account, where it keeps a clear record of all your correspondence with the Branch.

The form also connects with our case management system so we can readily identify workplace trends around enquiries, enabling us to proactively address issues for members.