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Voting timeline:
- Sunday, 16 October 9:00am: Ballot opens – the ballot will be run electronically by a third-party provider, Elections Australia
- Thursday, 27 October 5:00pm: Ballot closes
Why you should vote yes:
We believe the proposed Agreement brings enormous progress in developing fair and equitable conditions for all AHPs. We have secured entitlements that will significantly improve your wellbeing and take-home pay in the form of increased annual leave, parental leave, access to pro-rata Long Service Leave, allowances and paid overtime. We have secured strengthened clauses to ensure timely backfill, safe staffing and workloads, and investment in your clinical education, professional development and leadership pathways.
Most of all, the revision of our Grade 1 classification will go a long way to ensure Grade 1s are recognised and fairly renumerated for the work they do, making our industry more attractive to new graduates and ensuring we have sustainable staffing levels as our public health service grows in the years to come.
This does not mean we are finished. We recognise we still have a long way to go to ensure we have a sophisticated classification structure that reflects the complexity and diversity of the work you do and the professions we represent. We recognise that more needs to be done to tackle staff shortages, to improve and develop your clinical education, and raise your wages further to make Allied Health an aspirational career pathway. We are building the strength of our union to confront these enormous challenges, both with this Agreement, but also in the next round of bargaining.
What happens if a yes vote is successful?
The Agreement will be submitted to the Fair Work Commission for final approval and ratification. This can take anywhere between six-twelve weeks. Once the Agreement is ratified, your health service will then be required to pay you your first wage increase, backdated to 1 March 2022, in addition to your Patience in Bargaining payment, your first Skills Incentive Payment, and the Top of Band Payment for Grade 2s & 3s. Most other entitlements, including your leave entitlements, will be backdated to 7 July 2022.
What happens if a no vote is successful?
In short, any further delay would be disastrous. It will mean everything is off the table – including the 2%, your backpay and all other entitlements. We will be back at the bargaining table but now in a significantly worse bargaining position, with the added challenges of a fractured membership and a year of lost wage increases to contend with (which Government will be able to use easily as bargaining chip). The impact would be significant, not only in lost wages, but also in the reduction of workplace rights, career progression and other improved entitlements. The only way forward would be a protracted and difficult campaign of industrial action with no clear pathway to an improved wage offer.
The Government’s Wages Policy is an enormous hurdle facing all public sector employees: from teachers, to paramedics, to the bureaucrats on Spring St. When we started bargaining it was at 2%, which we managed to secure, and this has since been reduced to 1.5%. However, the wins in this Agreement and the improvements to your take home pay – through additional leave, paid overtime and allowances – should not be overshadowed.
Want to do more?
If you are frustrated with the scale and pace of change then get organised! We are only as strong as our membership. Become a delegate, encourage your colleagues to join, bring forward ideas on how you want to improve your workplace. Being a union member does not begin nor end with bargaining. Improving our hospitals, holding our health services to account and ensuring our agreement is enforced in a way that benefits our members is a challenge we must confront every day. We are here to facilitate, support and raise your expectations.
We have come a long way as a union over the last ten years. It is essential now that we return a strong vote to demonstrate our unity. Low voter turn-out, as in any election, shows disaffection, division and disinterest. With this new Agreement, we have only moved forward – we have not sacrificed a single existing entitlement to win these gains – and it gives us a solid foundation upon which to build, grow and demand our Government recognise Allied Health Professionals as an essential asset and not a cost burden.
We hope you’re up for the fight. We are.
More Questions on your EA?
A full breakdown of your new entitlements can be found here: https://vahpa.asn.au/campaigns/public-sector-campaign/
If you have further questions about your new EA, we’ll be holding the following informal drop-in sessions via Zoom next week where you can log on during the times below to speak with the Organising Team.
These will be held in addition to the repeat EA meetings.
Times for Q & A Drop-in Sessions:
· Tuesday, 11 Oct: 11:00am – 1:00pm
· Wednesday, 12 Oct: 12:00 – 2:00pm
· Thursday, 13 Oct: 12:00 – 2:00pm
· Friday, 14 Oct: 12:00 – 2:00pm
Use this link for all Q & A meetings: tinyurl.com/vahpaea2022qna
Last two EA Online meetings!
For those who were unable to attend an in-person or online meeting, we are holding two final online Zoom meetings next week so that you still have a chance to hear from us about your new EA. These meetings are open to all Allied Health Professionals regardless of your membership status.
· Tuesday, 11 Oct: 1:15 – 2:00pm
· Thursday 13 Oct 5:00 – 5:45pm
Register here for the EA meetings: tinyurl.com/finalvahpaeameetings
Want to become a delegate?
The next delegate training session will be held on 8 November, 9am-12pm. Please email organiser@vahpa.asn.au if you would like to nominate.