Next steps for the Victorian public sector mental health 2020-24 enterprise agreement
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) continues to review the 2020-24 public sector mental health agreement.
The employers’ representative, the Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association (VHIA) made the application for approval of the agreement on 27 April 2022.
As part of its work the FWC has asked for further information which VHIA is supplying on behalf of all parties.
The approval process can often take a minimum of several weeks as the FWC works through the relevant approval requirements for a new enterprise agreement.
It has been a long process to get to this point. We know members are frustrated and are waiting for their long overdue pay rises. The first wage increase and the ‘once off nurse alignment payment’ will be processed after the Fair Work Commission formally approves the agreement.
ANMF again thanks all our members who have been involved since the start. Putting forward resolutions at our annual delegates conference, raising issues in your workplace and advocating for improvements to your current conditions and wages.
What happens next?
The agreement will become legally enforceable seven days after FWC approval.
The proposed new agreement, approved by ANMF members, reflects significant gains with respect to parental leave, dispute resolution, workload management, retention and recruitment processes, occupational health and safety and many other member claims.
Importantly, the wages outcome and nurse alignment payment will ensure that mental health nurses maintain parity with nurses covered by the 2020-24 Victorian public sector nurses and midwives enterprise agreement.
Additional EFT for secure extended care units and acute aged services, clinical nurse educators in parent and infant units and a new graduate support nurse role are also substantial ANMF claims included in this agreement.
ANMF is pleased that work towards legislating nursing staffing profiles in mental health must also commence within 12 months of the agreement’s approval. This work includes mapping of all services as per the legally binding memorandum of understanding signed by all parties.
For more information about claims contained in the proposed 2020-24 mental health agreement read EBA update #23
Forensicare agreement nurse-related drafting finalised
As previously advised, Forensicare mental health nurse members overwhelmingly endorsed an Andrews Government EBA offer at a virtual statewide meeting on 5 January 2022.
ANMF has been meeting intensively with all other parties to finalise drafting of the Forensicare agreement in preparation for ballot. We have finalised all nurse-related drafting and understand that Forensicare have some outstanding items to consider.
ANMF has reached agreement with HACSU on the final allocation of nursing EFT as part of ANMF’s successful claim for additional prison nurses. ANMF has provided this allocation to Forensicare, VHIA and the Department of Health.
What happens next?
All parties have now agreed on the drafting, which has been provided to lawyers Clayton Utz for review in order to finalise.
The Victorian Government will then need to approve the final draft before it can progress to the access period prior to an electronic ballot. ANMF is strongly advocating for all parties to meet as intensely as required to get the agreement to ballot in July.
When ballot dates have been determined, ANMF will provide a comprehensive update to all members for review during the access period and hold members’ meetings to ensure any questions from members are answered.
It has been a long process to get to this point. Like your public sector mental health colleagues we know members are frustrated and are waiting for their long overdue pay rises. ANMF would also like to thank all our Forensicare members who have been involved since the start. Putting forward resolutions at our annual delegates conference, raising issues in your workplace and advocating for improvements to your current conditions and wages.
