News
29th May, 2020
Royal Flying Doctor Service Propose to Slash Conditions
On Thursday 28 May 2020, the Victorian Ambulance Union Incorporated (VAU) and the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) attended a bargaining meeting to respond to the new offer tabled by RFDS on 21 May 2020. In this meeting, the VAU formally opposed RFDS’s new offer.
Specifically, the VAU made clear that it would not accept an agreement introducing a two-tiered wage system. If introduced, this would see new employees of RFDS being paid far less than current employees, including in some instances up to $220 less per week. In response, RFDS have suggested that if we do not accept the proposal of a two-tiered system, they may apply to terminate the current agreement in the Fair Work Commission.
If RFDS were to attempt to terminate your current agreement the VAU would oppose this on your behalf and before the Fair Work Commission. If termination were successful it would mean that employees would be paid conditions which apply under the Ambulance & Patient Transport Industry Award 2020 (Award) and are the minimum conditions that exist within the industry.
If these conditions applied, employees would be significantly worse off than under the terms and conditions that now apply under the current agreement. For example, an employee employed as an Ambulance Attendant 1, level 3 on a full-time basis could be paid $118.56 less a week if the current agreement were terminated and the Award applied.
Fair Work Commission Bargaining Dispute Application
Prior to the bargaining meeting, the VAU and the ANMF lodged a joint bargaining dispute application in the Fair Work Commission. The purpose of our application is to make RFDS accountable for their significant change in position, given the parties were very close to achieving a positive outcome as recently as April 2020 with only 4 outstanding items to finalise to reach agreement at that time. Since 1 May 2020, RFDS have reneged on agreed claims and retracted their previous offer.
That bargaining dispute has now been listed for a conference in the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday, 2 June 2020.
Further updates will be provided as the bargaining dispute progresses in the Fair Work Commission.
RFDS survey
On 26 May 2020, RFDS sent out a bargaining update with a survey for employees to complete. The VAU note that many of the questions in the survey are leading (by suggesting the answer to the question in the question itself). However, the survey also gives members an opportunity to express your frustration with RFDS’s change of position.
Accordingly, the VAU are asking members to respond to the survey by inserting the following comment in each comment box:
“We are seeking that RFDS honour the in-principle agreement that was communicated to employees on 15 January 2019”.
Nominating the VAU as your bargaining representative
The VAU have continued to receive nominations from members appointing us as your bargaining representative. However, there are still a significant amount of VAU members that have yet to nominate the VAU.
If you have not nominated the VAU as your bargaining representatives it is extremely important to do so because this sends a strong message to RFDS that you are not happy with the proposal that they have recently put to you.
If you have any questions, please contact VAU NEPT Organisers:
- Bruce Fine on 0480 194 711 or
- Kerry Mclean on 0480 194 783.
In Solidarity,