Better deal for health workers

Health workers are being asked to vote in favour of a new enterprise bargaining agreement that would see their wages increase by 12.49 per cent over 2.5 years. Some 34 Health Workers Union (HWU) members from Wangaratta and surrounds travelled to Melbourne last week to protest a previous offer of 3.5 per cent over three years. The new offer on the table is 12 per cent over 18 months, and back pay until 16 December 2025, but a lump sum payment of $1500 for full time workers and pro rata for part time and casual workers. The compounded wage rise over the length of the agreement is 12.4pc/2.5 years or 4.996pc a year. Colette McNeill, Wangaratta HWU delegate, and Dave Baird, Wodonga HWU delegate, travelled to Melbourne with 24 union members from Northeast Health Wangaratta and 10 from Albury Wodonga Health to join a protest demonstration at the new Footscray Hospital. Ms McNeill said there were around 1000 members who joined the demonstration. "This had been scheduled as the official opening by Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas but she did not put in an appearance," she said. "The HWU received a new pay offer that afternoon and this will now go to a members' vote before being accepted. "Protected industrial action will continue until the offer has been formally accepted." Ms McNeill said the $1500+ backpay to 16 December is one the most significant backpay outcomes of any public sector union. "In addition to this, we have defeated the attempted sell-off of more than 400 jobs at Eastern Health to a multinational Labour-hire firm," she said. "These jobs will now remain in the public sector. "None of us wanted to take industrial action but enough was enough. "Health support workers in public hospitals are among the lowest paid of all Australian workers. "To quote Jake McGuinness - lead organiser of the HWU, 'This outcome was not given to us, it was won through Union Power. We can be proud of what we have accomplished.'"

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