Call the HACSU Helpline
1300 88 00 32

more info

Summer 2005

Health professionals inch closer to landmark agreement

Tasmanian health professionals have won a landmark new agreement that delivers significant wage increases, a new career structure and a range of other benefits.

The agreement is currently being put to members for their endorsement.

HACSU State Secretary, Chris Brown, congratulated members on a campaign which he said clearly demonstrated the benefits of collective action.

"This is a great agreement, which will put a lot more money in the budget of many families and individuals. It will also do a hell of a lot to retain health professionals in Tasmania and ensure the ongoing delivery of these services on the Island," Chris Brown said.

Chris Brown said the quantum of gains and the application of the agreement to all public sector health professionals would not have been won without a collective approach by health professionals.

"If there was no collective approach there would have been some marginal gains for some groups, and it would probably have applied only to DHS health professionals," Chris said.

Chris Brown thanked all HACSU members for their patience and steadfastness.

"It was a bit frustrating towards the end, with a need to be very precise about wording so that there would be no disputes about who could access career structures or other benefits, and the Government tried to limit the agreement only to DHS staff."

The agreement includes the following:

• A salary increase of 8.99% back dated to 1 July 2005. This increase is designed to bring Tasmanian salaries in line with the average paid in other States and Territories. Salary rates at the new Level 4 & 5 are also increased by $10k.


• Salaries will increase in July 2006, July 2007 and July 2008 based on increases paid to the 'top of the un-promoted range' in the other States and Territories compared with the rate paid at Level 2.3 in Tasmania.


• A new classification structure will split the old level 1 into two levels, include a competency barrier between the new levels 1 and 2, add two new incremental levels at level 2 and one new incremental level at level 3 and 4.


• Translation to the new structure will be 'point to point' as per the table below. Employees will be entitled to progress to the next incremental point on their normal anniversary date.


• New levels have been included in levels 3 and 4 to recognise postgraduate qualifications. Employees at level 3 with graduate diplomas (or equivalent) in an area relevant to their profession will be able to progress to level 3.5 and employees at level 4 with Masters (or equivalent) in an area relevant to their profession will be able to progress to level 4.4. Such employees will also be able to advance 2 incremental steps.


• On-call rates will be increased to $3.50 an hour, with a daily minimum payment of $28 and employees required to be available to provide services from home via the telephone or internet will be entitled to a payment of $2 an hour.


• Employees working night shift will have their night shift loading increased to 22%.


• Employees working in Correctional Health will be entitled to a salary loading of 6.5%.

For full details of the new classification structure, including wage increases, see the Health Professionals campaign section of the HACSU website.

The new agreement, as well as DHS health professionals, will also include speech and language pathologists, social workers in DoE, psychologists in the Police Department and psychologists in the Justice Department.

HACSU will proceed to argue for other groups in the Department of Justice and Police to be included through the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.