Award Modernisation

The Rudd Government has asked the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) to make and implement new modern awards for 1 January 2010.

The Government has given the AIRC the difficult job by making imposing very short timeframes (implementation on 1 January 2010) and two major conditions of not disadvantaging workers or increase the costs for employers. The AIRC is reviewing and making new modern awards for all workers in the federal system in four stages. Health is being done in Stage 2 and Community Services, Disability and Welfare being done in Stage 4.

The HSU has proposed that there be one award to cover the health industry. We have provided a framework to the AIRC that would see direct care workers, support workers, clerical and administration workers, ambulance workers, health professionals, dentist, doctors, managers and nurses all covered by the one indusrty award (click on the link to see the proposal).

The HSU has called for:

1. modern award to not disadviatange any health worker
   
2. the health indusrty to be covered by a single award covering all workers, classiforcations and professions
   
3. ADOs to be a standard condition for all health workers
   
4. ceremonial leave to be provided for
   
5. higher qualification and tool allowances to be available for those workers who are required to use them
   

Click on the link to see our latest submission.

The AIRC has already produced exposure draft modern award for the health indusrty. You can view them by visiting the AIRC's award modernisation webpages at http://www.airc.gov.au/awardmod/fullbench/industries/awardmodindustry.cfm?award=health. This link will also show you what other unions, employers and groups have said and proposed about making modern awards in the Health industry.

The AIRC will make and hand down a modrn award for the health indusrty by 3 April 2009.

Stage 4 begins in July with completion by the end of December.

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Click here to read the HSU's one award proposal (it is a large file) [ pdf ]

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Last Modified: Tuesday, 03-Mar-2009 17:32:44 EST