Health professionals starting their careers will receive up to $128 more a week to help with soaring household bills as the first stage of a landmark pay equity win begins today.
The increases to minimum award wages are the product of the Fair Work Commission’s gender undervaluation review, in which HSU members successfully advocated for recognition and correction of the historical undervaluation of a predominantly female workforce.
For eligible new graduates paid under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, the first increase means up to $90 extra a week for those with a bachelor’s degree and $128 for those with a master’s degree.
The increases apply from the first pay period starting on or after today (1 October), with further instalments on 30 June each year to 2030. The Fair Work Commission found the work had been historically undervalued because of assumptions based on gender.
HSU National Secretary Dustin Halse said the first increase is an important milestone for workers facing ballooning financial pressures.
“Health professionals spend their working lives helping other people, but too many have struggled to meet their own household bills on wages that fail to recognise their skills and responsibilities,” Mr Halse said.
“Tuesday’s interest rate rise puts even more pressure on workers already stretched by the cost of living crisis. This increase will give them some breathing room to cover groceries, rent and mortgage repayments.
“Our members stood up and made the case that their skills, qualifications and the responsibility they carry deserve proper recognition.
“Today they begin to see that recognition in their pay, with further increases to follow. That gives people starting their careers greater confidence that they can afford to stay in the professions they’ve worked so hard to enter.”
Mr Halse said Victorian public sector health professional members had also recently secured similar recognition and significant increases over four years through their enterprise agreements.
“Across the workforce, our members are winning overdue recognition for the work they do. These are hard won gains and we will keep up the fight so every health worker is properly valued.”
MEDIA: Eliot Barham | 0423 921 200