EBA 2024 Update – Volume 4

Welcome to the fourth edition of a bulletin that aims to keep Western Health’s nurses and midwives informed and up to date on the bargaining negotiations for the successor enterprise agreements to both the:

• Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector)(Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2020-2024
• Victorian Public Mental Health Services Enterprise Agreement 2020-2024

which collectively cover all nurses and midwives employed at Western Health.

Introduction

This update provides information regarding the progress of the bargaining processes for the new Enterprise Agreements (EA) which will take effect over 2024.

The enterprise agreement for nurses and midwives working in public health services across Victoria expires on 30 April 2024, so these negotiations are underway.

Nurses working in mental health services are covered by a separate enterprise agreement which expires in December 2024. Negotiations for this agreement will commence later this year.

ANMF enterprise agreement feedback meeting

There will be a series of meetings, information and material that will be seen over the coming weeks.

ANMF will be holding a meeting to update its’ members on the progress of negotiations as follows:

When: 21 March 2024 from 2.00pm – 3.30pm

Where: ANMF Carson Conference Centre Melbourne. To minimize the necessity for extensive travel, the meeting will also be live streamed to seven other regional venues across the state (details below).

This meeting is a paid meeting, inclusive of reasonable travel time.

Paid time release

An employee will be paid their rostered hours for the period of the release, including reasonable travel.

The time spent at the meeting (and reasonable travel time) is considered ordinary time. An employee will be paid their rostered hours for the period of the release, including reasonable travel time. Reasonable travel time is the time it takes to get to the closest venue, attend the meeting, and return. Typically, most employees will attend via buses arranged by the ANMF to the metropolitan venue.

If the period of the activity (meeting attendance and reasonable travel time) exceeds the rostered hours, no additional payment is given, as payment is only in respect to rostered hours occurring in the period of activity.

If the Employee does not have rostered hours in that period, there is no payment.

Paid time release does not extend to any time outside of the time spent at the meeting and reasonable travel time, so staff must attend rostered hours as normal otherwise.

Requesting to attend

If you are rostered on to work either a morning or afternoon shift on 21 March 2024 and wish to attend the meeting, you are required to request time release from your manager. Your manager will do everything reasonably possible to try to facilitate you attending the meeting. You will however only be able to attend the meeting if the time release is approved by your manager.

If you want to attend the meeting outside of your work hours, you do not need to seek approval.

Required staffing levels

Western Health is taking a number of steps to allow as any staff who would like to attend as possible. It is acknowledged by everyone that safe staffing levels must be maintained.

Western Health takes our obligations very seriously to maintain a safe level of care for our patients and a safe working environment for our staff. We are also committed to wherever possible not jeopardising our patients’ access to receiving health care.

You may have seen communication from ANMF stating that a minimum of night shift equivalent staffing levels should be maintained during periods of time release – unfortunately this does not take into consideration the legal obligations required of health services.

Like other Victorian public health services, Western Health also has an obligation to meet the minimum nurse-to-patient and midwife-to-patient ratio requirements contained within the Safe Patient Care Act 2015. We cannot and will not wilfully choose to not meet these ratios, and no person or organisation can give us permission to not meet these legal requirements.

Therefore, during all times Western Health will require the staffing levels required by the Safe Patient Care Act 2015 to be maintained.

The ‘over-ratio’ number of staff during double-staffing time will used to support staff to be able to attend the meeting should they wish.

We are also taking a number of additional steps to optimise the ability for staff to attend should they wish, including offering shorter shifts to our Bank staff to cover any absences.

Keeping informed

Western Health will continue to provide regular updates on the outcomes of the bargaining process and how the new enterprise agreements for 2024-2028 are progressing.

Unions will also provide information to their members through regular publications, notices and report-back meetings.

Any queries or concerns can be discussed confidentially with the relevant Divisional Director of Nursing & Midwifery, Deputy Executive Director of Nursing & Midwifery or People & Culture Business Partner.