Log of claims
On Thursday 14 May ANMF provided employers with the 2020 EBA log of claims for enrolled and registered nurses working in the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health Service.
The log of claims will be the basis of ANMF’s negotiations with representatives from the Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association and the Department of Health and Human Services for a new enterprise agreement.
The 2016 Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health Service registered and enrolled nurses agreement expires on 30 June 2020 and continues to operate until a new agreement is in place.
A draft log of claims was endorsed at the 2019 Annual Delegates Conference. ANMF (Vic Branch) Council endorsed the claim at its April meeting.
In accepting all of the mental health royal commission’s recommendations in its interim report, the Andrews Government has committed to a serious mental health reform agenda. ANMF and its members anticipate the royal commission will make more recommendations specific to Forensicare.
Staffing levels have not kept up with the recent rapid growth in Forensicare’s services.
The log of claims is designed to retain and further recruit a mental health nursing workforce for these expanding services. It aims to create a physically and psychologically safe workplace. It also ensures that ANMF’s successes, achieved for nurses and midwives working in the general public sector, flow on to nurses working in forensic mental health services.
To realise better Forensicare mental health nursing services our claims provide a blueprint to create a culture of respect and excellence and a workforce that can confidently implement the much-needed reforms to come.
Members are encouraged to read the claim via bit.ly/ForensicareClaim
The claim broadly covers nine themes including:
a. Incorporating achievements secured in April by nurses and midwives in the general public sector
- Increased notice requirements for issuing a roster and changing a roster, including on-call requirements.
- Access to six weeks annual leave for all nurses who are weekend workers.
- Access to long service leave at 7 years.
- Periods of unpaid parental leave counting as service.
- Increases in paid parental leave for primary and secondary carers.
- Superannuation to continue to be paid through absences on parental leave, not just the paid component.
- Confirmation when previous experience applies for an internationally qualified nurse.
- Ensuring employers cannot implement punitive performance improvement plans.
- Portability of P/CNS between employers.
b. Salaries, classifications and related matters
ANMF is seeking increased wages and allowances for registered nurses (RPN) and enrolled nurses (PEN) to maintain parity with public sector general nursing. This is a nine per cent wage increase over four years and recognises the significant wage uplift ANMF secured for Forensicare nurses in 2019.
c. Nurse: patient staffing profiles for inpatient services and related staffing matters
ANMF is seeking provisions that set out all previously agreed staffing profiles for all bed-based services as a minimum. There are also claims to ensure all planned leave is backfilled.
Claims also include a dedicated director of nursing (DON) and after hours co-ordinator roles; and the employment of additional nurses in mental health settings in prisons.
d. Community mental health
Includes claims to build the nursing workforce and are designed to improve outcomes for people accessing community mental health.
e. Rosters, leave and related staffing/conditions
There is a comprehensive list of claims for improvements including earlier long service leave access, change of roster allowance, improved overtime and on call/ recall provisions, payment for meal breaks not taken, overtime rates for casuals, expanded definition of study leave to support and workforce development initiatives.
f. Professional development and related matters
Claims include qualification allowance for advanced diploma and a Cert IV TAE allowance.
g. Promoting permanent employment/ workforce attraction and retention
ANMF is seeking ongoing employment for graduate nurses and postgraduate students, recognition of a Nursing Indigenous Health Cadetship employment model, an employment model for registered undergraduate students of nursing (RUSONs) in mental health wards (based on the successful trial in the general public sector) and increased postgraduate scholarships.
h. Occupational health and safety, equal opportunity and employee representation
Claims include improving and strengthening clauses including the requirement for all nurse unit managers, associate unit managers and supervisors to receive training and support to undertake OHS incident investigations, conduct consultation with staff about OHS issues and undertake risk assessments.
i. Other
Claims include measures to address gender-based discrimination.
What happens next
ANMF will advise members when negotiations are scheduled to start.
In the meantime, members are encouraged to ensure we have your correct workplace and contact details. You can update your details via anmfvic.asn.au/memberportal
If you think you may have unsubscribed from our communications in the past, get back in touch via anmfvic.asn.au/resubscribe
This will mean you won’t miss out when we contact members with short surveys asking for your feedback to assist with the negotiations.
Together we are stronger, encourage your colleagues to join ANMF, the union leading the way for mental health nurses – via anmfvic.asn.au/join
