EBA registered - what's changed?

Friday 12 Dec 2014

The updated Public Hospitals and Health Services Agreement was registered in the WA Industrial Relations Commission on 8 December.

A copy of the Agreement can be found here.

The changes are mostly minor and technical, such as updating allowances, and changes to clause numbering.

The more important changes include:

• Recall to work no double counting provisions clarified.
• Various allowances updated.
• List of specified callings updated.
• GESB no longer sole superannuation fund, members can nominate any complying superannuation fund.
• Cashed out leave counts as income for purpose of calculating employer super contributions.
• Right to double leave on half pay or half leave on double pay clarified.
• Improved parental leave arrangement for non birth parent.
• No need to return to work to receive a subsequent period of parental leave including paid parental leave.
• Clarifies right to paid parental leave where mother incapacitated following the birth.
• Clarification of right to paid parental leave in the case of stillbirth after 20 weeks.
• Clarified rights to leave where the pregnancy terminates earlier than 20 weeks.
• Continuous higher duties of 12 months or more paid for first 4 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Regular casuals paid Jury Duty.

The agreed changes do not reduce any rights or benefits currently available to members.

The Agreement has been registered subject to the arbitration of the salary rates and so does not include salary rates. However, by agreement, an interim pay increase of 2.75% from 1 July 2014 has been paid administratively. A copy of the interim rates may be found here. They are also published by the Department of Health as an Information Circular IC 0194/14.

The final salary rates will be determined through arbitration.