News

The Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated (VAU) is pleased to present the finalised Log of Claims (LOC) for the Health Select Services (HSS) bargaining.

After consulting with our membership at HSS, the VAU have compiled a substantial list of claims which have been condensed into the LOC document that is a button in this Bulletin. Two amendments were made to:

• VAU Claim 24 – Shift Cancellation
• VAU Claim 31 – Casual Availability Shift

The VAU would like to thank those members who took the time to send in ideas for claims in the LOC.

Second bargaining meeting

The VAU has attended a second bargaining meeting with HSS. In this meeting, the HSS Representative Kate Connellan had consolidated claims received by parties thus far and went through any Agreed, Counteroffer, Not Agreed and In Discussion claims.

HSS has responded to the unions’ claim with a disappointing wage offer of 2% per year. This is not a fair reflection of the work that you do, and the VAU will continue to press its claim of 4% per year.

HSS argues that they pay above the Award rate for ATAs. While it is correct that they pay all ATAs one cent above the Year 3 Award rate, HSS ATAs are still paid less than Year 1 Ambulance Attendants at any other NEPT provider with an EA – and there are no increases for years of service for HSS Employees.

HSS’s response to other claims has also been disappointing. Many claims have been rejected entirely, including the introduction of increments for years of service, personal leave for casual employees, paid parental leave, and changes to indicative shift times.

Several other claims are yet to be discussed in detail. The next bargaining meeting is scheduled for 01 May, and we will provide a further update at that time. A summary of all VAU claims and HSS’s current position is included at the end of this bulletin.

What else do HSS members need to do?

The VAU will bargain on behalf of its members at HSS. To achieve the best outcomes, we need every member at HSS to nominate the VAU as their bargaining representative. This sends a clear message to HSS that our members are a cohesive group who care about getting higher wages and better employment conditions.

By nominating the VAU, you are also eligible to vote on any proposed industrial action, and take part in that action, if it comes to that in the bargaining process. Currently, less than one third of the HSS membership have nominated the VAU as their representative. It takes only a minute so please take the time to do this right now if you haven’t already. You can copy and paste the below into an email to Kellie Taylor at HSS. All you need to do is fill in your name, employee number and date, then send.

How do you do this?

To make sure that the “Victorian Ambulance Union” is formally recognised as your bargaining representative, and that you can take protected industrial action as a member of the VAU, you must complete the template notice AND email this to us (kerry.mclean@vau.org.au or X) with the subject heading ‘Bargaining Nomination – Health Select Enterprise Agreement’

IMPORTANT: This notice of appointment will need to be sent to Health Select for the notice to legally come into effect.

FAQ’s Q: Can I copy and paste the text in the template into an email and send to HSS?

Yes – so long as you ensure that you insert your name and the date of the appointment in the text copied from below.

Q: What date should I record on the notice?

It must be the date you complete the notice. For example, if you complete the notice today, you must record today’s date. Do not backdate the notice.

Q: What happens if I do not nominate the VAU as my bargaining representative?

If you do not formally appoint the VAU as your bargaining representative, then you will not be able to take protected industrial action as a VAU member if and when the VAU makes an application for a protected action ballot order from the Fair Work Commission. Remember, as a VAU member, you can organise and engage in industrial action, so long as you appoint the VAU in writing as your bargaining representative and let HSS know. Last time around, we reached an Agreement without the need for IA. That doesn’t mean that it will not be necessary this time. Nominating the VAU as your representative ensures that members have every opportunity to get the wages and conditions that they deserve.