Victorian public sector nurses and midwives agreed to a 28.4 per cent wage increase offered by the State Government on Wednesday, 26 June after a meeting at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The 28.4 per cent figure – compounded increase by November 2027 – sees more than 70 improvements to allowances, penalties and terms and conditions.
Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation Victorian branch secretary, Lisa Fitzpatrick said that “members asked us to go back on the negotiating table and come back with certainty over the offer we recommended on 20 May”.
“We have done that, and we’ve secured a significant gender equity wage increase for a nursing and midwifery workforce that is 89 per cent female,” she said.
The offer’s pay increase was aimed at addressing gender equity, acknowledging the women-majority population of the workforce, in which an expert FWC panel previously indicated the need for said increases.
It also provided dates for all increases and restored the relativities between an estimated 30 classifications to ensure that the pay structure remains balanced and equitable.
“There is still much work to do to acknowledge nurses and midwives’ work through the pandemic and address current workforce and staffing pressures so that nurses and midwives can start to love their work again,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.
The percentage increases will vary for the graduate nurse/midwife and the first even registered nurse classifications up to Grade 2, Year 7; these will also increase by the full gender equity uplift in July 2024.
Said increase will be followed by three more annual increases, and for these classifications, they will be:
2024 increases vary between 17.51 per cent and 5 per cent
2025 increases vary between 3 per cent and 4.23 per cent
2026 increases vary between 3 per cent and 4.1 per cent
2027 increases vary between 3 per cent and 12.72 per cent.
Further indicated increases for all classifications including those above Grade 2 Year 7 are listed below, they will also have two increases per year:
In 2024 increases will occur in June and July, a total of 5 per cent
In 2025 increases will occur in May and November, a total of 4.22 per cent
In 2026 increases will occur in May and November, a total of 4.09 per cent
In 2027 increases will occur in May and November, a total of 12.72 per cent.
Some examples of the classifications that will be earning 28.4 per cent more on their base rate by 29 November 2027 are:
Enrolled Nurse, Level 2, Certificate 4, Year 4
Current rate, weekly base rate: $1313.10
Current rate, hourly base rate: $34.56
November 2027 weekly base rate: $1686
November 2027 hourly base rate: $44.37
Enrolled Nurse, Level 2, Diploma Year 1
Current rate, weekly base rate: $1285.70
Current rate, hourly base rate: $33.83
November 2027 weekly base rate: $1650.80
November 2027 hourly base rate: $43.44
Grade 2, Year 7
Current rate, weekly base rate: $1762.70
Current rate, hourly base rate: $46.39
November 2027 weekly base rate: $2263.40
November 2027 hourly base rate: $59.56
Members of the ANMF have been taking protected industrial action for 51 days which began on Tuesday 7 May, and ceased yesterday.
Negotiations for an improved wage increase first began in October 2023 between the Vic branch of the ANMF and the Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association as well as the Department of Health.
The previous offer on 20 May was rejected by members due to a number of uncertainties; it included government wages policy of 12.55 per cent, cash bonuses and an additional gender equity uplify of between 5.5 and 13.3 per cent based on outcome of ANMF’s FWC aged care work case.
“The wages and new and improved allowances and penalties and terms and conditions are designed to retain our early career and experienced nurses and midwives, recruit new nurses and midwives and start to rebuild our health system” Ms Fitzpatrick said.
