Confidential ballot won for Community Health Professionals

An outcry over the failure to allow Community Health Professionals to vote confidentially in an upcoming Enterprise Agreement ballot has led to a change of tune by management.

As explained in last week’s HP Update, Community Health Professionals are being asked to vote over the coming week on an Enterprise Agreement (EA) that would see them become the worst paid in the Australia.

Last week many members contacted the VHPA to express concern that the proposed voting method was at an office meeting or, in some cases, an email vote prior to the meeting.

We immediately surveyed Community Health Professionals in the Centres where the vote is occurring and the responses were overwhelming in support of a confidential and transparent vote.

We wrote to the VHIA to express these concerns and request a ballot paper and sealed ballot box so that staff could vote confidentially.  On Tuesday morning we received a call from the VHIA agreeing to provide a confidential vote.

“Congratulations!  As a group of Community Health Professionals you spoke with one voice and together you affected a change,” said Emma Brelsford, VHPA Organiser.

“With this win under our belt, we are now pressuring the VHIA to ensure the vote counting process is transparent.”

VOTE NO to management offer

The VHPA is strongly urging Community Health Professionals to VOTE NO and reject the management’s proposed Enterprise Agreement.

Accepting the current offer would mean maintaining the unfair pay disparity that sees Community Health Professionals being paid significantly less than those covered by the HSU-Branch 4 Agreement.

“We understand that this has been a long campaign and it could be tempting to say yes to get the negotiations ‘over with’,” said Craig McGregor, VHPA Secretary.

“But if this Agreement is voted up the only thing that will be ‘over with’ will be the chance for you to be paid on par with your colleagues.”

“A NO vote says, “We won’t be paid less than we’re worth!” and will bring management back to the table for some genuine bargaining.”

>> Send an email to your CEO  and Phill Murphy at the VHIA  in support of staff scrutineers at the vote counting – please also cc the VHPA

>> Please circulate this newsletter and encourage your colleagues to VOTE NO and to join the VHPA if they are not already a member