It's been a big year for members working in mental health in 2019. Next year, we're in store for even more excitement as the EBA bargaining begins and we await the final recommendations from the Royal Commission into Mental Health in Victoria. 

We were happy to announce last month the positive outcomes from the interim recommendations which were released in late November. We were delighted to report that our recommendations, made earlier this year, for a minimum of 180 new positions each year in mental health nursing, and other allied health professions have been accepted by the Royal Commission.

HACSU officials and members were involved in lobbying the Government over many months in 2019. We congratulate all who took part in these efforts and those who have supported in other ways as well!

In 2020, we're looking towards campaigning for our new EBA. This EBA will focus on workers, wages and wellbeing for all. We recently held a mass members meeting at Trades Hall where the log of claims was endorsed by the group of members who attended. We'll soon be ready to share the finalised log with members once it is served to the VHIA.

In the meanwhile, we need to ensure that we have high union density in all workplaces! The reason the need for high density is to ensure that we can encourage an outcome in our favour when it comes time to vote! 

Talk to your colleagues about the importance of being part of a strong union!