2020-06-29
Hello members,
I wanted to provide you with an update regarding the Public Mental Health enterprise bargaining negotiations.
We’ve been bargaining for several weeks now, after serving HACSU members’ log of claims (LOC) in late February on the Victorian Government, the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association, and the hospitals where you work.
We’re asking for a new - and radically improved - public sector mental health enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) for 2020-2024. Thanks to members like yourself, we were able to serve a log of claims that encompassed the needs of workers across the sector and to build a complimentary and holistic service system for consumers and families across Victoria.
It was only recently that we finally received the employers’ LOC and suffice to say, we weren’t surprised by the lack of acknowledgement of the hardships workers face or what is needed to improve the sector, on the basis of the ongoing Royal Commission into Mental Health in Victoria.
So far, bargaining meetings have consisted of the HACSU bargaining team relaying the claims we’ve put forward in our members’ log, in order to thoroughly discuss each claim. Unfortunately, we’ve been met with little in the way of responses, other than an acknowledgement of the claim and commentary around whether it is or is not a ‘cost item’ (meaning, it costs the employer money).
I believe in the union and members and I know that when the time comes, members will stand up and support better mental health for Victoria. We’ll continue to campaign for the boldest and most progressive set of demands in our history. You, the workers, your wages, and your wellbeing are front and centre in HACSU's demands. As State Secretary, these principles will guide everything we at HACSU do over the coming months.
Very soon, we’ll be delivering new materials to your workplaces to help you support the Workers.Wages.Wellbeing campaign. I hope that you’ll take the opportunity to use these materials to start a conversation with your colleagues around the importance of being a HACSU member during this year’s EBA campaign.
If there is one thing you can do right now to support the campaign, it’s to update your details. We’ll need all public mental health members to ensure your personal and employment details are up to date.
You can check and update your details via MyPage today or by calling us on 1300 651 931.