As agreed by ANMF, HACSU, the Department of Health and the Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association (VHIA), former Fair Work Commission commissioner Michelle Bissett has facilitated bargaining since the first meeting on 31 July.
Since then, bargaining representatives have met twice a week. As of 24 October, parties have held 18 formal meetings.
As advised in our EBA update #1, ANMF has served our public sector mental health members’ log of claims. VHIA have provided a preliminary response to our log, as have ANMF to the employer claim. Disappointingly, at this stage VHIA has not indicated its support for wage parity with the general nursing outcome. Rest assured, ANMF will continue to vigorously pursue wage parity on behalf of our members.
Each party has discussed claims and shared proposed clauses for each relevant section of the agreement. Progress has been made on many claims however some key claims still need to be resolved. These include claims relating to community mental health team workload tools, discipline mix, and staffing profiles.
ANMF remains committed to working expediently with the goal of reaching an agreement that is supported by our membership by the nominal expiry date of 31 December 2024.
Read the ANMF members’ log of claims.
Read the employers’ log of claims.
To retain, recruit and rebuild our mental health nursing workforce we must have an enterprise agreement that values and rewards nurses, improves our working conditions with a focus on safety and gender equality in the workplace.
A valued mental health nursing workforce will deliver the improved outcomes needed for consumers, and the broader Victorian community.
Update on staffing matters
Members may recall a significant outcome from the last round of bargaining was a mapping of mental health nurse staffing in bed-based services across the state. This important piece of data collection has been completed and will be inserted into the new agreement in an agreed format.
This will mean that, for the first time, the agreement will contain enforceable nursing staffing profile. However, we are continuing to pursue staffing claims through bargaining and other avenues with an ultimate aim of achieving consistency in minimum staffing across specialities, and ultimately getting us closer to mandated nurse-to-consumer ratios, consistent with what ANMF has achieved in general nursing and midwifery since the early 2000s.
Update on classification matters
ANMF has a number of claims related to current classifications. See summary below:
- Nurse Unit Manager – ANMF understands this rate is under classified and we have commenced discussions to uplift this rate and translate to a two-level structure.
- Senior Mental Health Nurse Role (Senior Psychiatric Nurse) – ANMF’s claim is to introduce a contemporary descriptor reflecting the work this role undertakes, defining the SPN from the DON role, and streamlining the remuneration at the one Grade 7 rate.
- Director of Nursing – ANMF’s claim is for a clearly defined Mental Health DON, to protect and build the mental health nursing leadership within services, and an uplift to the grade.
- Nurse Practitioner – introduction of an additional pay increment.
- Reviewing classification descriptors to ensure clear delineation between grades.
Mental Health Roadshows (round 1)
As advised in On the Record, ANMF continues to visit workplaces and provide EBA updates and opportunities for members to ask questions and get involved. Through October we have been visiting sites, including community mental health sites, giving an update on bargaining and answering any member queries you might have. Please keep an eye out for us at our upcoming site visits:
- Monash Mental Health, Dandenong Area Inpatient: Thursday 31 October
- Peninsula Mental Health, Inpatient Unit: Thursday 7 November
- Barwon Health, Mental Health, Swanston Centre: Friday 8 November
Do you have at least two Job Reps?
It’s a great time to become an ANMF Job Rep, get to know your current entitlements better and get involved in our EBA campaign. Job Reps are the life force of our union. To nominate as an ANMF Job Rep yourself (ideally there would be at least two Job Reps per ward/area) please read the information and download a Job Rep nomination form via anmfvic.asn.au/jobrep
To see who your ANMF Job Rep is, login to the Member Portal via https://members.anmfvic.asn.au and then click the ‘My Delegates’ tab under ‘My Membership’.
ANMF Statewide Members Meeting – Wednesday 4 December
Save the date for Wednesday 4 December for a statewide EBA members’ meeting. This will be an in-person meeting at ANMF, 535 Elizabeth Street Melbourne. We hope to also offer online attendance pending AV capability.
The purpose of the meeting will be to update members on bargaining matters and key claims prior to the 31 December 2024 expiry date of the current agreement.
We will provide further information at the roadshows, and via correspondence shortly.
Update your details
To be eligible to vote in a protected industrial action ballot if that becomes necessary, ANMF members’ details must be up to date and match with their details on the employer-provided list.
Members need to check their surname, first name, middle name, date of birth, work and private email, mobile and postal address. Members whose workplace and contact details don’t match won’t be eligible to vote, which may limit everyone’s ability to participate in a campaign.
Until 11.59pm 31 October 2024, members who check and/or update their details will have the chance to win a $1000 cash Visa card; a three- or four-night stay at ANMF House (Melbourne), Ocean Grove Chalet or ViewHill Holiday Units Bright; or a $300 Coles Myer gift voucher.
To check or update your details, visit the member portal via members.anmfvic.asn.au.
