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Public sector pay rates for grade 2 pod in Australia

Discussion in 'Employment in Australia' started by beckringrose, Feb 22, 2013.

  1. beckringrose

    beckringrose Member


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    Hi there,
    just wondering if anyone can explain the pay rates or tell me where I can get more info. I am a grade 2 pod with a community health service. I know as a grade 2 the pay scale stops going up after 4 years, and I'm now year 7 or 8. But don't we get an increase (CPI) annually any more? My pay hasn't changed since November 2010. I'm a sole podiatrist but have been advised I earn more as a grade 2 on the old award than I would as a grade 3 on the modern award.
    I tried to discuss this with the work ombudsman but was told I was already paid more than the going rate - I know this is not true. I also heard that allied health pay rates have been frozen.
    Can anyone tell me what the going rate is for a grade 2 right now and if others have been stuck on the same pay for 2.5 years too?
    Throw me some cash while you're at it.
    Cheers,
    Beck
     
  2. Tuckersm

    Tuckersm Well-Known Member

    Beck,

    I take it that you are in Victoria.
    Pay rises are linked to Enterprise Barganing Agreements, and the last one for Aliied Health only applied to those working in Public Hospitals, which has been a 2.5% rise last October and 1.25% due in April.
    Due to the significant issues affecting the HSUA, Community Health has been left behind, with rates there now about 5% behind the hospitals.

    It appears that your health service is indicating that the sole allowance wouldn't be payable if you were able to gain a grade 3 position, and if this was the case, the difference in pay between a G2Y4 with sole allowance and a G3Y1 without would be minimal, but more significant at G3Y3.

    There is also the Health Professions award, which is the safety net, for Podiatrists not working where an EBA is in place (rates here are much, much lower, and no one in public health is paid under the award)

    2012-2015 Agreement

    The old (current for CH) is here
     
  3. beckringrose

    beckringrose Member

    HI Stephen,
    It's been a whole year since my post about pay rates and they still haven't gone up.:bash: Have you heard anything else about why it's taking so long to come to an agreement and bring us in line with the hospitals?
    My credit card will love the back pay when it finally comes through.
    Thanks for your last reply.
    Beck
     
  4. lucycool

    lucycool Active Member

    I have just recieved this email from a union rep - will post it here!

    Lucy

    Hi All,
    Please find attached a flyer recently sent to us from VHPA (Victorian Health Professionals Association) regarding the difference in pay between health professionals and the dieticians/scientist award.

    As discussed in the VHPA meetings held at ISIS a couple of weeks ago, VHPA is currently negotiating for individual agreements at each Community health centre.
    Nine community health centres (not ISIS) are currently voting on an enterprise agreement (that was put to them by their management) that would see them paid significantly less than the what dieticians/psychologists receive. What’s worse is that the agreement would see health professionals from those centres, actually paid less than what hospital based health professionals received/are getting. The VHPA is hoping that all health professionals vote “NO” to that agreement, as voting “YES” would see us the lowest paid in the country. The outcome of this vote will hopefully be known in the next week or so.

    Whilst we have not had an agreement proposed for us at ISIS to vote on as yet, I have attached the FAQ sheet that was given to health professionals at those 9 centres, so that you have a bit more background information on the agreement that was proposed to them and why a “no” vote is so important.

    From the flyer:

    What Management Are Saying…
    The
    new
    Grade
    2
    Year
    5
    classification
    for
    the
    Public
    Sector
    is
    not
    guaranteed”
    Clause
    11
    funding
    ($14
    million)
    is
    guaranteed
    and
    the
    inclusion
    of
    a
    Grade
    2
    Year
    5
    classification
    has
    been
    costed
    and
    agreed
    to
    in
    negotiations
    with
    the
    VHIA
    for
    the
    Public
    Sector.
    We
    are
    in
    the
    final
    stages
    of
    finalising
    this
    package,
    and
    the
    only
    sticking
    point
    now
    is
    a
    clause
    around
    chief
    structures.
    “With
    salary
    packaging
    Community
    Health
    Professionals
    are
    better
    off
    staying
    Grade
    2
    Year
    4
    than
    if
    they
    were
    paid
    as
    Grade
    2
    Year
    5
    in
    the
    Public
    Sector”
    The
    creation
    of
    a
    Grade
    2
    Year
    5
    increment
    is
    a
    crucial
    improvement
    in
    the
    career
    structures
    of
    Health
    Professionals.
    It
    recognises
    the
    skill,
    knowledge
    and
    experience
    that
    Health
    Professionals
    have
    gained
    by
    working
    in
    the
    sector.
    Further
    to
    this,
    moving
    up
    an
    increment
    has
    a
    flow
    on
    financial
    effect
    on
    allowances,
    superannuation
    etc.
    “There
    is
    nothing
    in
    the
    Agreement
    about
    Workloads
    that
    we
    know
    of”
    Clause
    13.1.1
    (page
    8)
    of
    the
    proposed
    Agreement
    states
    that
    you
    can
    not
    raise
    a
    dispute
    under
    this
    Agreement
    if
    it
    is
    to
    do
    with
    Workloads.
    This
    clause
    does
    not
    exist
    in
    the
    current
    Public
    Sector
    Agreement,
    nor
    the
    Agreement
    recently
    made
    for
    Dieticians
    in
    Community
    Health.
    This
    is
    extremely
    concerning.
    It
    means
    Community
    Health
    Professionals
    will
    have
    little
    to
    no
    say
    over
    their
    workloads
    under
    this
    4
    year
    Agreement,
    and
    their
    Union
    cannot
    assist
    them
    with
    any
    disputes
    around
    workloads
    during
    this
    time
    either.
    We
    believe
    management
    have
    a
    responsibility
    to
    know
    what
    Agreement
    they
    are
    asking
    you
    to
    vote
    for
    and
    to
    be
    honest
    and
    transparent
    about
    all
    clauses
    contained
    in
    the
    Agreement.
    “Grade
    2
    Year
    4
    full-*‐timers
    will
    get
    about
    $7500
    back
    pay
    EFT
    and
    if
    you
    don’t
    vote
    for
    this
    Agreement
    then
    the
    back-*‐pay
    will
    not
    be
    on
    the
    table
    in
    the
    future”
    This
    threat
    that
    back-*‐pay
    will
    be
    taken
    off
    the
    table
    is
    simply
    being
    used
    to
    bribe
    Health
    Professionals
    to
    vote
    for
    the
    Agreement.
    The
    money
    for
    back-*‐pay
    has
    been
    set
    aside
    by
    management
    and
    should
    continue
    to
    be
    should
    this
    Agreement
    not
    be
    voted
    in
    favour
    of.
    Finally
    the
    dollar
    figure
    quoted
    is
    gross
    and
    would
    be
    significantly
    less
    after
    tax.​

    Sorry if its a bit hard to read..
     
  5. Tuckersm

    Tuckersm Well-Known Member

    From the Union (Victorian Health Professionals Association)
    .
     
  6. beckringrose

    beckringrose Member

    5 years after the last pay rise I talked about in my post 2.5 years ago I'm still not really further forward. My community health service merged with the local hospital so I'm now under the hospital award (which is slightly better but I get less salary sacrifice now). Buuuuuuut, I'm hearing other community health pods are receiving back pay for that time the unions and government were arguing. The CEO during our merger promised I would still receive the back pay (there was no wage increase from 2010-2014) when all arguing was done but I'm now told that the new pay agreement (through VHIA) is from March 2015 and not back dated at all. I did hear there was $7500 back pay at one stage and the government threatened to withdraw this if we didn't sign the agreement, and union were urging people not to sign. So I've waited years for a large back pay only to be told I can't get it. I'm a little upset to say the least (about to go on holiday and it would have helped the budget a lot! Might have to stop drinking!).
    If anyone can shed some light on this I'd love to hear it.
    Until then I'll cry into my empty wallet.
     
  7. brekin

    brekin Active Member

    Beckringrose: Yes there was back pay implemented and for someone who has been working in community health full time over this period it was over $10,000.

    However the agreement is only binding for those working in community health when it was made (I think February this year). This is because a binding legal agreement can't cover those that no longer work there. This does mean that, as you left community health prior to this agreement, you are not entitled to any back pay and the community health centre does not have to pay you. Saying that there are many community health centres that are still honouring back pay for those who have left even though they are not legally required to do so. Contact your previous employer and see if they will - though if they refuse you won't have any legal recourse.
     
  8. Bug

    Bug Well-Known Member

    I would suggest you contact the union for advice and if required, support.
     
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