Nurses and Midwives in Melbourne Secure Significant Pay IncreasesNurses and Midwives in Melbourne Secure Significant Pay Increases Members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation in Melbourne and eight regional cities have voted to accept a 28.5% pay increase over four years, offered by the state government. The new wage structure includes increases for penalties such as night shifts and qualification allowances. Base salary increases will vary depending on the level of nursing, but all will receive a 28.5% increase. In 2027, weekly pay packets will increase by up to $603. The pay boost marks a significant gender pay improvement for a workforce that is 89% female. The union emphasizes that the increase is intended to retain and recruit nurses and midwives, as well as address staffing pressures. Other improvements include 75 new and enhanced allowances and penalties, such as improved on-call pay, disconnect clauses, and flexible working arrangements where feasible. Employees will also have immediate access to parental leave and interstate employees will continue to accrue personal and extended leave. The Victorian Government is still facing pay disputes with other public sector unions, including firefighters, paramedics, and regional train crews. However, the agreement with the nurses and midwives represents a significant step towards resolving these disputes.
Members of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation in Melbourne and eight regional cities voted on Wednesday to accept the state government’s offer of a 28.5 per cent pay increase over four years.
Penalties such as night shifts and qualification allowances will increase under the new wage structure.
The Victorian government offered nurses and midwives a 28.5 percent pay increase over four years. (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS)
The base salary increases vary depending on the level of nursing, from graduates through to the first seven registered nurses, but all will receive a 28.5 percent increase.
In 2027, weekly pay packets will increase from $365 to $603.
Union members had been taking protected industrial action for 51 days since May 7, which will end now that the offer has been accepted.
In May, they rejected an agreement in principle after voting to launch a strike that included closing one in four hospital beds.
Under the original agreement, employees were offered a pay increase of 18 to 23 percent over four years, but this was rejected due to several uncertainties.
The union said the latest offer included dates for all increases and restored relativities between all classifications by the end of the agreement.
The increase marks a significant gender pay boost for a nursing and midwifery workforce that is 89 per cent female, said Lisa Fitzpatrick, Victorian secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to recognize that nurses and midwives are weathering the pandemic and to address current staffing and staffing pressures so that nurses and midwives can start loving their work again,” she said.
“The wages and new and improved benefits, penalties and working conditions are intended to retain our early career and experienced nurses and midwives, recruit new nurses and midwives and begin rebuilding our health care system.”
The 75 new and improved allowances and penalties include compensation for nurses transferred to other departments, improved on-call pay, a disconnect clause and improved flexible working arrangements where reasonable.
Employees will also be able to take parental leave immediately instead of waiting six months after starting, and interstate employees will be recognized that they can continue to accrue personal and extended leave.
The Victorian Government and several agencies remain embroiled in pay disputes with firefighters, paramedics and regional train crews.
At the end of May, Victoria Police and the force’s union struck an agreement in principle to phase in a nine-day and 14-day period by January 1, 2029, giving the workforce a 16 per cent pay increase over four years.
