When we met with St Giles yesterday to begin negotiating the replacement AHP agreement, we tabled the log of claims - members' wish list - and discussed some other issues that need to be dealt with during negotiations or through some other agreed process.
 
St Giles gave the following responses to members' claims: 

• No reduction in current entitlements – Agreed
• Wage increase – St Giles offered 2.2% per year
• Family Violence Leave – 3 days per occurrence, no cap
• Change to incremental progression – To be considered
• Changes to Bereavement/Compassionate Leave to include significant relationships – Agreed
• Long Service Leave in line with public sector (13 weeks for 10 years’ service) – Rejected. Some consideration will be given to accessing a pro-rata entitlement after 7 years
• Preceptor Allowance – Rejected
• Changes to Professional Development Allowance – To be considered. St Giles will also investigate access to a professional/academic database/library for AHPs
• Late payment of wages clause – Agreed
• Reimbursement of police check/working with vulnerable children – Rejected
• Overhaul of Therapy Assistant classifications and pay levels – Agreed

Overall, the discussions were positive and the involvement of several AHPs, who’ll be covered by the agreement, was really valuable.

There was also discussion about revision of AHP classifications, recognition for transdisciplinary practice and modernising the current agreement. Some examples of contemporary, discipline-based classifications for AHPs can be reviewed here. These come from interstate public sector agreements and are food for thought that may give members some ideas.

Over the next week or so we’ll release dates for the next round of membership meetings via Zoom so we can talk about what’s really important and what’s not, and after that the next negotiation meeting will be arranged.

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There seems to be some confusion about the bargaining process, so to clarify:

Negotiation meetings are set up by St Giles and we have no part in that except for requesting that members from around the state are able to be included, and they’re generally not attended en masse by workers, but by a few elected representatives and the union.

Meetings the union arranges, like last week’s Zoom meetings, are for members to discuss strategies and options for moving the negotiations forward. Only union members can have a say in any decision made in relation to how the union will approach the remainder of negotiations.

All workers can represent themselves during negotiations, but the only effective voice for workers is a collective one and everyone knows union members have better pay and better conditions.

Keep an eye out for the membership meeting details, and for more info please contact HACSUassist.