Victorian public sector nurses and midwives have voted to approve the 2020–24 enterprise agreement.
Of those who voted, 98.5 per cent voted in favour of the EBA.
The ballot, of all public sector nursing and midwifery employees (not just ANMF members), closed midnight, Thursday 16 December 2021.
The Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association will now make an application for approval to the Fair Work Commission. The agreement will become legally enforceable seven days after FWC approval.
Members endorsed the proposed agreement at a statewide members meeting on 16 April 2020.
The voting process was delayed by a dispute over which employees were covered by the agreement.
Due to the unavoidable delays, the Andrews Government authorised the administrative implementation of the EBA in June 2021. This ensured nurses and midwives could access the allowance increases and improved entitlements and conditions.
Enterprise agreements require significant engagement, effort and time from members including submitting motions to the annual delegates conferences, attending meetings, providing feedback and importantly voting. Thank you to all of the members who were actively involved in achieving the significant improvements to nurses and midwives working lives across Victoria.
ANMF members achieved important improvements covering definitions, leave, allowances, midwifery governance, predictable hours of work, fatigue and overtime, dispute resolution, recruitment and retention initiatives, education and professional development, maximising permanent employment, occupational health and safety and gender equity.
You have maintained pay parity with your NSW colleagues thanks to the eight-year wages deal endorsed by members at the 2016 statewide public sector meeting.
The Andrews Government’s improvements to ratios continue under the two amendments to the Safe Patient Care Act.
