Dvision 2 Nurses Win in New Victorian Pay Deal

Division 2 nurses will have reason to celebrate after negotiations on a new enterprise agreement finally came to a conclusion.

Pay rise on the way for div 2 nurses

After some intense talks, where the HSU was representing Division 2 nurses, the agreement includes the following clauses:

• A 12 per cent pay rise over 3 ½ years plus an additional increment of $13 per week;

• Division 2 nurses who complete their undergraduate training will commence at the Division 1 pay scale at Grade 2 Year 2;

• Commitment to continue with occupational health and safety reform;

• Current fixed staffing ratios apply unless varied by this agreement;

• Provisions under the 2000 Nurses Enterprise Bargaining Agreement will be maintained unless varied by this agreement;

The first pay increase of 3 per cent will backdated to the 1 April 2004, another three per cent in October 2004, 2005 and January 2006.

The additional increment of $13 will mean that Division 2 nurses can now be paid at pay point 8. To receive this increment you must have at least 12 months experience at pay point 7.

A Division 2 nurse who completes their undergraduate training and obtains registration as a Division 1 nurse will commence at the Division 1 pay rate of Grade 2 year 2 provided that she/he was employed as a registered nurse pay point 4, 5, 6, or 7 prior to registration as a registered Division 1 nurse.

The current nurse/patient ratios still remain, however there is scope to have local health agency committees to be established and to review workload management arrangements. HSU members can be party to these committees.

The HSU has achieved representation on the Government working parties in relation to Occupational Health and Safety and Workload Management Consultative Structure.

This is a big win for the HSU because the Government are finally recognising that the union does have an impact when it comes to Division 2 Nurses.

The outcomes may appear to be small compared to our original claim, however the wins are significant in that the Division 2 nurses of the HSU will now be a force to be seriously considered in matters pertaining to Division 2 nurses.

HSU officials have thanked all the Division 2 members for their support and solidarity and the Professional Development Committee for their commitment to the Enterprise Bargaining process.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Nov-2005 17:18:58 EST