Jim McGinty

Jim McGinty

Attorney General; Minister for Health; Electoral Affairs

    Gallop Government strikes pay deal with nurses

    30/03/2005 12:00 AM
     
    30/3/05

    The State Government has struck a pay deal with the Australian Nursing Federation that will give Western Australian nurses a 14.7 per cent pay rise over three years, making them among the best paid nurses in the nation.

    Health Minister Jim McGinty said today he was pleased that the union and the Government had finally resolved the nurses’ Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

    “Not only does this deal guarantee the State’s 12,000 nurses the pay increases they deserve but there are significant improvements to their working conditions as well,” Mr McGinty said.

    The agreement is based on the recommendations of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission made in December last year.

    “The industrial umpire recommended the wage increases as fair for nurses and affordable for Government,” the Minister said.

    Mr McGinty said the deal would see nurses receiving pay rises of between $4,769 and $13,781 over three years and be paid as follows:
    • 3.4 per cent from May 1, 2004
    • 1.8 per cent from July 1, 2004 (backdated)
    • 4.3 per cent from July 1, 2005
    • 4.5 per cent from July 1, 2006
    Mr McGinty said improvements to working conditions recommended by the commission also formed part of the agreement, including:
    • systems to regulate and monitor workloads;
    • new shift co-ordination allowances for level one nurses;
    • paid parental leave increased from six to seven weeks from January 1, 2005 and then from seven to eight weeks from January 1, 2006;
    • night duty loadings on Sundays extended to Monday 07:30;
    • new on-call arrangements for senior registered nurses; and
    • additional leave entitlements such as cultural and bereavement leave.
    The Health Minister said additional improvements to conditions were negotiated post-election including:
    • new job-sharing arrangements;
    • the introduction of a Nurse Practitioner Classification; and
    • restoration of the full definition of a shift worker.
    Mr McGinty said the total package, worth $162million, was a win-win outcome for nurses and the Government.

    Final endorsement of the agreement would be sought from nurses through a formal union-backed ballot.

    “The Government has been negotiating in good faith for almost a year and we think this pay offer represents a fair deal for everyone,” Mr McGinty said.

    “We are confident that nurses will support the package agreed to by the Government and the ANF.”

    The new EBA would be supported by the Gallop Government’s $110million election commitment to recruit 800 extra nurses and build new childcare centres at public hospitals to help retain and attract nurses and other hospital staff.

    The Government would also be doubling the number of scholarships for nurses and midwives and establish new scholarships and clinical courses for mental health nurses.

    “Nurses are the backbone of our health system and as we build new hospitals and upgrade existing facilities we will need to employ more staff,” Mr McGinty said.

    “The new EBA and the initiatives we are introducing will make nursing an attractive and well paid profession in WA.”


    Minister's office: 9220 5000

    Previous
    Agreement
    Rate    		 Increase
    from
    1-5-04
    3.4 per cent    		 Increase
    from
    1-7-04
    1.8 per cent    		 Increase
    from
    1-7-05
    4.3 per cent    		 Increase
    from
    1-7-06
    4.5 per cent
    Enrolled Mental Health Nurse
    Pay point 1 $32,380 $33,481 $34,083 $35,549 $37,149
    Pay point 2 $33,068 $34,193 $34,808 $36,305 $37,939
    Pay point 3 $33,757 $34,905 $35,533 $37,061 $38,729
    Pay point 4 $34,446 $35,617 $36,258 $37,817 $39,519
    Pay point 5 $35,124 $36,318 $36,972 $38,561 $40,297
    Pay point 6 $35,687 $36,901 $37,565 $39,180 $40,943
    Registered Nurse Level 1
    Level 1.1 $37,210 $38,476 $39,168 $40,852 $42,691
    Level 1.2 $38,922 $40,245 $40,969 $42,731 $44,654
    Level 1.3 $40,648 $42,030 $42,787 $44,627 $46,635
    Level 1.4 $42,359 $43,799 $44,588 $46,505 $48,598
    Level 1.5 $44,081 $45,580 $46,400 $48,395 $50,573
    Level 1.6 $45,797 $47,354 $48,207 $50,279 $52,542
    Level 1.7 $47,508 $49,123 $50,008 $52,158 $54,505
    Level 1.8 $48,358 $50,003 $50,903 $53,091 $55,481
    Level 1.9 $49,172 $50,844 $51,759 $53,985 $56,414
    Registered Nurse Level 2
    Level 2.1 $50,894 $52,624 $53,571 $55,875 $58,389
    Level 2.2 $52,031 $53,800 $54,768 $57,123 $59,694
    Level 2.3 $53,179 $54,987 $55,976 $58,383 $61,011
    Level 2.4 $54,326 $56,173 $57,185 $59,643 $62,327
    Senior Registered Nurse
    Level 1 $61,404 $63,492 $64,635 $67,414 $70,447
    Level 2 $63,360 $65,514 $66,693 $69,561 $72,692
    Level 3 $65,317 $67,538 $68,753 $71,710 $74,937
    Level 4 $67,490 $69,785 $71,041 $74,096 $77,430
    Level 5 $69,664 $72,033 $73,329 $76,482 $79,924
    Level 6 $74,012 $76,528 $77,906 $81,256 $84,912
    Level 7 $78,902 $81,585 $83,053 $86,624 $90,523
    Level 8 $83,792 $86,641 $88,200 $91,993 $96,133
    Level 9 $88,683 $91,698 $93,349 $97,363 $101,744
    Level 10 $93,573 $96,754 $98,496 $102,731 $107,354
    Mother Craft Nurses
    Year 1 $30,017 $31,037 $31,596 $32,955 $34,437
    Year 2 $30,564 $31,604 $32,172 $33,556 $35,066
    Year 3 $31,363 $32,429 $33,013 $34,432 $35,982
    Year 4 $32,197 $33,292 $33,891 $35,349 $36,939
    Year 5 $33,016 $34,139 $34,753 $36,248 $37,879