With the Epworth Healthcare EBA expiring in February, negotiations for a replacement agreement have been underway since October last year. Both the employer and members watched the progress and outcome of the St Vincent’s Private Hospitals negotiations closely, and it was clear early on that Epworth members were highly engaged.
Several ANMF Job Reps are on the bargaining team alongside ANMF industrial, professional and OHS staff, and many other Job Reps are meeting regularly with the team to provide feedback and information, and to communicate progress with all members.
Epworth’s initial three-year offer, in February, was received by members with a somewhat mixed response: the pay increases tabled were on par with St Vincent’s Private and the public sector, but in other areas it was lacking.
At the time of publication, Epworth have put a further proposed agreement out for the 7-day access period (from 1 May 2025) with, as we understand, the intention to go to a VOTE on 12 May.
What is in the offer?
Wage increases and allowances
Wage increases to align Epworth nurses and midwives with public sector wages by 1 October 2025:
- 1 July 2025: 5.0% (first full pay period on or after)
- 1 October 2025: varied increases across classifications to reach parity with public sector base pay rates (first full pay period on or after)
- 1 July 2026: 4.25% (first full pay period on or after)
- 1 July 2027: 4.25% (first full pay period on or after)
All allowances in the current Enterprise Agreement to be increased by 5% from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2025.
Additionally, new allowances to be introduced or further increased include:
- A new on-call allowance for on-call periods rostered on weekends and public holidays at $110 per 12-hour period from the date of operation of the Agreement. (This has since been altered to provide an improvement to the on-call allowance from Monday to Friday of a flat $90).
- An increase to the night shift allowance to $100.72 per shift from the date of operation of the Agreement.
- Qualification allowance increased by 10% from the date of operation of the Agreement, with a further 10% increase from 1 July 2026.
- Introduction of a Lead Apron Allowance of $9 per shift or part thereof from the date of operation of the Agreement.
While the initial offer included a new provision outlining how and when an employee may be redeployed prior to or during a rostered shift – including an escalation process – it lacked members’ claim for a redeployment allowance. This has since been adjusted, however, with Epworth now offering an allowance of $40 per occasion where an employee is redeployed to another division of Epworth. In their most recent offer, Epworth have also included a $39.12 change-of-roster allowance, for changes with less than 48 hours’ notice (however noting this only applies when the employer has directed the changes).
Leave
The offer includes several improvements to leave, including:
- An additional two days of uncertificated personal leave (total now five).
- An additional two occasions with a statutory declaration (total now five).
- Ability to use a statutory declaration for two consecutive days of personal leave.
- Two additional days of professional development leave (total now five) from 1 July 2025.
- An extra two weeks of paid parental primary carer leave from 1 July 2025, and a further two weeks from 1 July 2026, for a total of 14 weeks.
- An additional 6th week of annual leave (pro-rata) from 1 July 2027 for part-time employees who work at least 10 weekend shifts a year, or who are rostered on-call for at least 10 shifts per year.
ANMF is satisfied that the wages and allowances on offer from Epworth meet our members’ claims and are reasonable and satisfactory.
On safe staffing provisions, Epworth agreed to an EBA Implementation and Consultative Committee that will look at staffing issues and feature ANMF staff, Job Reps and HSRs, as well as Epworth management. The function of the Committee will be to consistently implement the EBA, and to address staffing issues. Epworth have also proposed a stronger and more meaningful Workload Management clause, where workload concerns can be escalated through the dispute procedure. This offer also includes in-charge staffing in Special Care Nursery and Post Natal Ward, as well as an additional Grade 5 RN roster line.
While these additions do not meet ANMF members’ claim on safe staffing in its entirety, particularly on night shift staffing in many ward areas, it’s a step in the right direction that we can build on. Members, and in particular delegates at the bargaining table, are congratulated on all significant improvements included in this latest offer.
