Further bargaining response from Opal, Aged Care Work Value increases and Time to Care – next steps for Opal ANMF members

ANMF continue to meet with Opal to seek progress in the negotiations for a replacement enterprise agreement to the Opal Healthcare Enterprise Agreement 2023 and the BlueCross Residential and HomeCare, ANMF and HWU Enterprise Agreement 2024.

Opal has not yet provided a wages offer or confirmed when the proposed wages offer will commence. ANMF continue to ask Opal to provide a wages and allowance offer.

We have now discussed all of ANMF’s claims for the maintenance and improvement of wages and conditions, including the BlueCross conditions.

Opal has continued to maintain that the basis for the agreement will be the Opal agreement and have rejected improvements to staffing claims, including improved clauses for replacement of staff on unplanned leave. Opal has also rejected personal leave evidence claims, improved compassionate leave claim, improved higher duties claim, improved professional development claim and improved redundancy leave clause claim.

Opal is currently considering whether it will agree to meet industry conditions including pro rata long service leave at 7 years, improved parental leave, access to the sixth week of annual leave for RN shift workers, and a clear clause providing for payment for employees remaining available during meal breaks. There has not been any agreement to improve these clauses.

Discussions are continuing regarding the difference between Opal and BlueCross agreements, noting Opal’s position that the Opal agreement be the basis for the new agreement while ANMF is seeking maintenance and improvement in conditions. ANMF continue to raise issues with the current agreements as identified by members and seek that Opal deal with these issues in the proposed agreement.

We will report back to members when further updates are available.

AGED CARE WORK VALUE INCREASE FOR NURSES – STAGE 3 TRANCHE 3

This is the final stage of the Aged Care Work Value case increases and marks another important step towards recognising the important work undertaken by the ANMF to achieve wage parity for nurses and personal care workers who provide essential care to aged care residents across Australia.

The ANMF has fought hard to see an increase to your wages, and the Federal Government has increased funding to your employer to pass on the wage increase achieved.

The ANMF (Vic Branch) is pleased to advise members that Opal has agreed to implement the increases associated with Stage 3 (Tranche 3) of the Aged Care Work Value Case (ACWVC) from the first full pay period on or after 1 August 2026. For nurses under the Opal Healthcare Enterprise Agreement 2023 or the BlueCross Residential and HomeCare, ANMF and HWU Enterprise Agreement 2024 you should notice an increase to your hourly/weekly rate in your pay. Download a copy of the current wages and affected allowances applying at Opal and Opal BlueCross.

The increases apply to all registered nurses and enrolled nurses and are in addition to any increases negotiated under your enterprise agreement. ANMF continues to seek further information from Opal regarding wage related allowances.

NEXT STEPS FOR ANMF OPAL MEMBERS TO SHOW OPAL IT’S TIME TO CARE

ANMF are continuing to visit Opal residential facilities to meet with members and discuss the current status of enterprise bargaining and what members can do to escalate current issues.
ANMF members continue to escalate current issues to Opal management. By their continued escalation and with ANMF support, members have successfully been paid for meal breaks and overtime. It is crucial to keep escalating concerns to management and raising with ANMF if it is not appropriately resolved by management.

Members have the power in enterprise bargaining – and numbers count! Now is your opportunity to make your voice heard and let Opal know that It’s Time to Care and your wages and conditions need to improve!

Members can let Opal know It’s Time to Care by:

• Making sure as many nurses and personal carers as possible are ANMF members – anmfvic.asn.au/membership
• Making sure you have at least one job rep for your facility – preferably two! anmfvic.asn.au/reps/resources/role-of-the-job-rep. Please let us know if you are interested by emailing your Organiser (see table below) at records@anmfvic.asn.au
• Making sure you have at least one Health and Safety Representative (HSR) for your facility – anmfvic.asn.au/reps/become-a-hsr. Please let us know if you are interested by emailing your Organiser (see table below) at records@anmfvic.asn.au
• Downloading the ANMF log of claims, log of claims poster and the latest newsflashes and ensure that these are displayed at your facility – anmfvic.asn.au/opaleba
• Attending the ANMF visits at your residence– details of the visits will be sent to your private email.
• Ensuring you are raising any current issues that are occurring at your workplace to Opal and to the ANMF if they are not adequately responded to by Opal. You can access your enterprise agreements (including the relevant provisions on being paid for mandatory training, leave, breaks and entitlements) through the member portal here: members.anmfvic.asn.au. Raise with the ANMF if not adequately responded to via the member portal here: anmfvic.asn.au/memberassistance.
• Lodging incident reports or email management where there is not safe staffing, inappropriate workloads, where staffing does not allow breaks to be taken or where staffing is not adequately replaced.
  • Opal has a responsibility together with employees to maintain appropriate workloads
  • Employees need to raise up to Opal management in writing with specific information regarding the concerns, time and dates.
  • Members should raise the issue with the ANMF if not adequately responded to by Opal management via the member assistance: anmfvic.asn.au/memberassistance. Specific information regarding what the workload concerns with details are crucial for the ANMF to raise a dispute if the matters are not resolved.

It will be up to members as to what they are willing to accept for this future agreement and what they are prepared to do when Opal don’t provide an adequate offer – you need to be a member to be part of this discussion!

Further information regarding what is an EBA, how ANMF negotiates an EBA and your role as an ANMF member can be found here: otr.anmfvic.asn.au/tags/ebas-101

If you have any queries or feedback regarding bargaining, please contact your ANMF Industrial Relations Organiser (see list below) by email at records@anmfvic.asn.au.