7.95% pay rise and campaign continues: public health system members have voted to accept an offer from the NSW Government that delivers a 7.95% pay rise and the chance to increase night penalty rates and pay for experienced nurses in the IR Commission. The NSWNA is committed to fight for these important claims

Lamp, The, July, 2008

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A 7.95% pay increase over two years with the chance to increase night penalty rates and pay for experienced nurses is the central plank of a new wage agreement for public health nurses and midwives.

The first pay increase is effective from the first full pay period in July 2008.

The Agreement was endorsed by a strong majority of NSWNA branches in meetings held throughout the state at the end of June.

NSWNA General Secretary Brett Holmes said the pay rise is welcome but it is insufficient to solve the recurrent crises in the health system.

'We have argued long and hard that better pay and conditions for nurses are essential to getting more nurses back into the system.'

'This means that our Fair Conditions. Fair Pay. Nurses Stay campaign is not over.'

We'll pursue more in the Commission

Brett Holmes said the NSWNA Council recommended the final offer from NSW Health to members as it was aware of the tough economic circumstances many nurses found themselves in, like many other Australian working families.

'This Agreement puts money in the pockets of nurses immediately and allows us to pursue more in the Industrial Relations Commission,' he said.

Brett said accepting the offer was conditional on our right to pursue further increases for night duty and for experienced nurses in the Industrial Relations Commission.

'It's an important opportunity for us. It allows us to test our own claims about night duty and pay for experienced nurses before the independent umpire.'

Brett said that very late in the day--after council had made its recommendation and after the majority of branches had voted--the Government offered to extend the Agreement with a 3.9% increase for a third year.

'But, the Government made the third year conditional on agreeing to a further offset that would have made our claim for experience nurses impossible to run in the Industrial Relations Commission. We rejected this on the basis of what nurses have been telling us in our state wide meetings--no more offsets,' he said.

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Offsets unpopular

Brett said while the overall pay and conditions package was acceptable, individually, the offsets pushed by the department were justifiably unpopular among members.

'NSW Health took a hard line that there had to be some "employee-related cost savings" in order to meet the Government's public sector wages policy,' he said.

'But many of these measures are just not family friendly. The reduction in the number of ADOs you can accrue does not allow people to accumulate for the school holidays.

'With the higher grade duties only to be paid after five days acting puts a lot of strain on people. It will be hard to get people to do these jobs if they aren't paid more.

'Our fear is that unreasonable workloads issues will get even worse as a result of the offsets. If that is the case we will be diligent in applying the reasonable workloads machinery available to us to neutralise these negative consequences,' said Brett.

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What we have won

* 7.95% pay rise over a two-year Agreement 2008-2010.

* Industrial Relations Commission to arbitrate on increased night duty rates.

* Industrial Relations Commission to arbitrate on more pay for experienced nurses.

* Funding for 120 more CNE positions.

* Continuing Education Allowance for ENs with advanced diplomas.

* Part-timers can choose to increase contracted hours or swap to full-time.

PLUS: acting NUM/NM deemed appointed after six months; new community health team leader allowance; Justice Health allowance paid to Kestrel unit at Morisset; 12-hour shifts inserted into awards; under 18 junior pay rates abolished; some time-off in lieu problems to be fixed.

A STRONG 'YES' VOTE

A strong majority of NSWNA Branches in public health system workplaces voted in favour of the improved pay and conditions offer and the classification review offer for better clinical and education career paths.

The final vote for the pay and conditions offer was 91% in favour, 9% against. The vote for the classification review offer was 97% in favour, 3% against.

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More pay, better career paths for CNSs, CNEs and NEs

The review into the definition, role and work value of CNE, NE and CNS classifications (and their midwife equivalents) has delivered very good pay increases and improved clinical and educational career paths.

The review was conducted as a result of the previous 2005-2008 public health system wages and conditions agreement.

A new CN/MS Grade 1 position has been created with a more clearly defined role than the current CN/MS classification.

A new CN/MS Grade 2 classification has been created that delivers an excellent advanced practice role and forms a better bridge to the Clinical Nurse/Midwife Consultants and Nurse/ Midwife Practitioners classifications. The Government will introduce a funding mechanism equal to creating approximately 1,000 FTE Grade 2 positions in 2008-2009.

NSWNA Assistant General Secretary Judith Kiejda said the review effectively breaks the link between the CN/ME and the CN/MS classifications.