Department of Health agrees to arbitration and an interim pay increase
Thursday 31 Jul 2014
The HSUWA is pleased to advise that the Department of Health today agreed that the rates of pay for a new agreement be determined by arbitration.
It also agreed to two recommendations made by the Commission:
- Any agreement determined through arbitration will operate from 1 July 2014.
- An interim payment of 2.75% be made, backdated to 1 July.
Arbitration will now determine a wage increase for this year of between government wages policy of 2.75% and the union's claim of 4%. For next year it will be between 2.5% and 5%.
The Commission also recommended that all industrial action cease. Given this positive news all members are directed to cease all work bans.
Given the State Government had refused to negotiate a wage claim outside its wages policy this result is the best possible outcome. This has been realised because of members' actions during the campaign, including lobbying, stop work meetings, work bans, 12-hour strikes at SCGH and RPH and the resolve to spread strikes to Bentley, Armadale, and Fremantle Hospitals and beyond.
We will be strongly arguing in arbitration that members deserve a pay increase in line with that paid to other health employees and that productivity improvements be recognised and rewarded.
It will be several weeks before we are back before the Commission and we will be doing everything we can to have the arbitration concluded as quickly as possible.
Key points
- You get a minimum pay increase of 2.75% this year
- The union will argue a case to get more than 2.75% this year and more than 2.5% next year
- Any arbitrated pay increase for this year will be backdated to 1 July 2014
