Management have now provided a formal offer which consists of the following:
Length of Agreement
Healthscope proposes an Agreement with the nominal expiry date being 30 June 2024. The commencement of the Agreement will be seven days after the date of approval by the FWC.
Wage offer
Healthscope state the offer is based on cost pressures applying to the private / NFP hospital sector, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and in relation to the challenge in movements in Private Health Insurance rebates. Healthscope states they are cognisant of movement in wages in the private and public health sector in Queensland and the movement in the Consumer Price Index.Healthscope have made the following wage offer:
- 1.75%: from first full pay period on or after 1 July 2021 (back paid);
- 2.25%: from first full pay period on or after 1 July 2022; and
- 2.25%: from first full pay period on or after 1 July 2023.
Allowances in the new Agreement will be adjusted by the same percentage as the movements in wages, the increase from the FFPPOA 1 July 2021 to be back paid.
Casual rates
Healthscope proposes and increase in the casual loading from 23% to 25% from the date of approval of the new Agreement by the FWC.
Incremental progression
Healthscope will recognise “comparable and relevant work to Healthscope” in the progression for incremental payments in the make-up of the 1786 actual ordinary hours of work needing to be completed for progression. The change in progression rules to have effect from the approval of the Agreement by the FWC (i.e. no back pay claims).
Part-time employment
Healthscope will agree to an amendment of clause 16.3 of the current Agreement in the following terms:
“At the time of engagement the employer and the part-time employee will agree in writing the number of ordinary hours of work contracted as usually required and the initial rostering arrangements that will apply to those hours.”
Healthscope agrees to a further amendment to encourage part-time employees to seek an increase to their contracted hours where they have worked in excess of their contracted hours on a regular basis.
Notice of termination by employee
Variation to clause 18.3 (b) of the Agreement concerning notice periods which would read:
“If an employee fails to give the required notice, the employer may deduct from wages due to the employee under this Agreement an amount that is no more than one week’s wages for the employee.”
Consultation on change of rosters
Healthscope will agree to inclusion of reference to representatives being advised of any proposed change to rosters.
Shift worker provisions
Healthscope agrees to amend the current Agreement in remove the grandfathered provisions and clean up the provisions in the Agreement.
Span of hours
Healthscope agrees to amend clause 28 “Ordinary Hours of Work” clause to a specify a span of hours for day workers of 6.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Saturday.
Family and domestic violence leave
Healthscope proposes to increase the provision for paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave from up to 5 days per year of paid leave to up to 10 days per year of paid leave from the date of approval of the Agreement.
Recall to work provision
Healthscope agrees to introduce a provision into the new Agreement in relation to employees recalled to perform work via telephone or other electronic communication away from the workplace consistent with the provisions of the Nurses Award 2020, but excluding employees classified as Nurse Unit Managers (Level 3) and above.
RUSON / RUSOM
Healthscope proposes the introduction of a new classification for Registered Undergraduate Students of Nursing and Midwifery under the terms attached.
Wages and CPI
If you have been following the news over the last couple of weeks, you would have seen a lot about the rapidly rising cost of living. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has just released their quarterly report on inflation in each of the capital cities and it shows the highest jump in the cost of living for more than 20 years.
Brisbane’s CPI is now a massive 6%. In relation to the current wage increases if inflation stays at the same rate this would mean that your wages are not keeping pace with inflation or are a ‘cut in real wages’.
How to make sure you get the wages and conditions you deserve
It is clear that management are not listening to you or have any desire to.
We need
75% or more of our members to commit by responding to this survey, to be willing to participate in some form of action. Union officials and your workplace reps will organise, lead, and support you and our other members in participating in that EB activity. The kind of activity will be decided by a majority of the members who will participate in it.
A willingness to engage in
Protected Industrial Activity during the bargaining process provides the best chance in getting a fair outcome.
If you want to participate in EB activity with other union members, please encourage at least one of your workmates to respond that way; such activity will only occur if union members who work together talk to each other about it.
Want to know more?
Contact your organiser on 07 3840 1444.
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Brisbane Private - Trudie Stables
- Gold Coast Private, Pacific Private - Anne-Maree Daly
- Peninsula Private, Pine Rivers Private, Sunnybank Private - Colin Filippi