The finale… As suspected Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology has decided to cease bargaining and put the agreement out for the vote. The company wants to lock this agreement in for four long years! 

At the last bargaining meeting on the 30th of June all bargaining representatives zeroed in on SNP’s lack of insight into cost-of-living increases, and their refusal to acknowledge the 5.2% minimum wage increase that was recently handed down by the Fair Work Commission. In reality the SNP offer will essentially be a pay cut and a step backward in unstable economic times.  This offer from the one of the biggest and most profitable pathology providers is well below sub-standard. 

The wages offer is barely above the minimum wage. HSU members deserve to be valued and treated with respect as pathology professionals. SNP continues to reject three quarters of the HSU’s log of claims, where we have been asking for better careers, better conditions, and better leave. 

What happens from here?

SNP has made an offer to all staff that are covered under CWA 4 and will be giving you a short one-week window as required under legislation.  SNP have advised that the ballot to vote will be distributed to eligible staff, and they have engaged an independent third party to distribute and collate the voting information.

We strongly encourage all members to update all of your contact details with SNP HR department as soon as possible. It is important that your personal email address is up to date within the payroll (Presda) system by COB Thursday 21st July (this week).

To the vote… you have three options

• Vote yes and accept a locked-in four-year deal, that flat out rejects three quarters of our claims for better wages, better conditions, better careers and better leave - explained by the flyer here.
• Do not vote at all - it is not compulsory (but by not voting you let others decide for you)
• VOTE NO – your HSU Bargaining Team recommends this. Voting NO will force SNP back to the negotiating table to let them know that we are going to stand together and continue to fight because we know that we are worthy, and we deserve a better deal! 

If you have any questions about the voting process or the agreement, contact your local HSU delegates or Organiser Angela Brown on 0428 586 335.

On a final note, when your HSU Bargaining Team started these negotiations, the principle was that conditions are improved for all workers and are better off through these negotiations. Many people have worked behind the scenes and supported your HSU team and delegates to get to this point. Our membership has more than doubled throughout this process and continues to grow as SNP staff members are tired of being unrecognised, undervalued and ignored. We are holding SNP to account for what is fair and hard fought rights and will continue to do so long after this process ends.

We encourage you to have conversations with your colleagues and make sure you stay informed about your rights in the workplace. Keep standing alongside your fellow SNP HSU members, along with 47,000 other HSU health workers to help make that change.