HSU Allied Health and Administration members met today to discuss an interim proposal resulting from HSU members’ firm industrial action which led to Industrial Relations Commission conciliation.

Due to time pressures, a vote was held in this meeting. We acknowledge that in normal situations an electronic survey is preferred to ensure all members can vote. This will continue to be the preferred method of voting.

HSU members voted to pause two of the authorised industrial actions (listed below), but all others continue without change.

This is an important step won through member action, but it is by no means the end. The key takeaway for members must be that we have more work to do. The remaining bans must continue as we campaign to address the remaining issues around staffing, including a guarantee in writing of no reduction to Allied Health and Administration staffing.

In return, NSLHD has agreed to the following outcomes which will be negotiated in more detail over the next week:

• All temporary contracts currently under 28 days’ notice for termination will be extended for 28 days so consultation with the HSU can occur on each one.\
• A process will be created to address the issues with the ATF process which is causing understaffing and impacting backfill of roles:
  • All positions currently sitting at facility level must be moved to ATF Committee within 2 weeks.
  • HSU delegates to conduct 2 consultation meetings with NSLHD to review all decisions of ATF committee and make submissions on declined or deferred positions.
• Mona Vale Hospital staffing dispute will be referred to an executive level meeting with the HSU for resolution.

In exchange for pausing the bans, an agreed process to ensure Award compliance with overtime payments will be developed (see below for more detail).

If HSU members are not satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations, bans will be re-implemented immediately.

From 2:30pm today, Wednesday, in accordance with the majority vote of members, the following temporary changes to our authorised work bans take effect for one week:

1. HSU members will recommence accepting new referrals after 2:30pm but must be paid for any work beyond contracted hours as overtime.
   1. NSLHD has conceded that if clinicians are required to work beyond contracted hours for any reason, then this must be paid as overtime under the Award. It is crucial that members enforce this.
   2. If unpaid overtime is worked, members should keep their own documentation about how long it was and why it was necessary.
2. HSU members will recommence attending PJB and MDT meetings.
   1. NSLHD will seek to ensure PJBs do not exceed 15 minutes and will keep MDT meetings to a minimum. If this is not occurring members should contact the HSU office.
   2. Clinicians will not be required to attend based on clinical acuity and workload.

How to understand these bans: you can find the full list of bans below. These still apply, except for those identified at points 1 and 2 above which are paused for one week.

Full list of industrial action

Towards the end of the week, members will be informed of progress made by the Industrial Action Committee in developing an agreed process to ensure HSU members are paid overtime for any work outside contracted hours, and an agreed process to give members a say in filling vacancies through the ATF process.