Victorian nurses and midwives have scored massive wage increases that will boost some pay packets by $600 a week on top of more than 70 improvements to allowances and penalties.
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Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation members in Melbourne and eight regional cities on Wednesday voted to accept the state government's offer of a 28.5 per cent wage increase across four years.
Penalties such as night duty and qualifications allowances will increase under the new pay structure.
The increases to the base rate of pay will vary according to the level of nursing from graduates through to the first seven registered nurse classifications, but all will receive a 28.5 per cent increase.
By 2027, weekly pay packets will rise between $365 and $603.
Union members had undertaken protected industrial action for 51 days since May 7 which will cease now the offer has been accepted.
They knocked back an in-principle agreement in May after voting to begin industrial action including shutting down one in four hospital beds.
Under the initial agreement, workers were offered a wage boost of 18 to 23 per cent across four years but it was rejected.
The union said the latest offer provided dates for all increases and restored relativities between all classifications by the end of the agreement.
The increase marks a significant gender-equity wage increase for a nursing and midwifery workforce that is 89 per cent female, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Victorian secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said.
"There is still much work to do to acknowledge nurses and midwives work through the pandemic and address current workforce and staffing pressures so that nurses and midwives can start to love their work again," she said.
"The wages and new and improved allowances and penalties and terms and conditions are designed to retain our early career and experienced nurses and midwives, recruit new nurses and midwives and start to rebuild our health system."
The 75 new and improved allowances and penalties include compensation paid to nurses redeployed to other wards, improved on-call allowances, a right-to-disconnect clause and improved flexible working arrangements where reasonable.
Workers will be able to take parental leave immediately instead of waiting six months after starting and workers from interstate will have their service recognised to continue accruing personal and long-service leave.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the four-year deal was a win for all Victorians and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas described the pay increase as "once-in-a-generation".
"We're proud to give nurses and midwives better pay and improved conditions - it's absolutely what they deserve," Ms Allan said.
She would not say if the deal would increase pressure on the state budget and health services.
The government and several agencies remain locked in pay disputes with firefighters, paramedics and regional train workers.
In late May, Victoria Police and the force's union struck an in-principle agreement to phase in a nine-day fortnight no later than January 1, 2029 and give the workforce a 16 per cent pay rise across four years.
Australian Associated Press
