Medibank EA


13 improvements secured by unions | 20 December 2012
Your working conditions for the next 3 years have been significantly improved, following last week’s approval of the MHS Enterprise Agreement (EA) by Fair Work Australia. As a result of staff across MHS raising their concerns with their union, 13 improvements to the EA have been secured for the benefit of all staff. | Read more

Joint Union update on what’s happening with the MHS Enterprise Agreement | 6 December 2012
As you will be aware, Medibank submitted the proposed MHS Enterprise Agreement and required documentation to Fair Work Australia (FWA) for approval on the 5 October 2012. Since then there have been three hearings before Commissioner McKenna in Sydney to hear argument about a range of Union concerns with the proposed Agreement and whether it meets the requirements of the FWA for approval. | Read more

MHS Bulletin - MHS has explaining to do at Fair Work | 19 October 2012 | Read more

MHS EA 2012 Bulletin for Staff - Narrow vote result calls for scrutiny | 25 September 2012 | Read more

Unions letter to MHS - questions regarding vote outcome | 24 September 2012 | Read more

Vote NO is still your best option

Last Friday MHS staff would have received from MHS management an updated FAQ on your proposed Agreement, which attempted to discredit important factual analysis provided by the unions to MHS staff.

Your unions have produced a detailed response to the FAQ document (management issued a second version removing an embarrassing gaffe), highlighting unclear and misleading statements made by MHS HR. This document can be read in full here.

Here are 5 good reasons why voting NO is still in the best interests of all union members and MHS staff:

  1. MHS are not guaranteeing any fixed annual wage increases for all employees for 3 years (Clinic staff get 1 guaranteed wage increase for the first year of the Agreement only), unlike the current Medibank PHI Agreement.
  2. Management refuse to detail how staff may get a wage increase through their “annual salary review”, other than a non-binding Remuneration policy and 'market conditions'. Clinic Staff, how can you be asked to vote on a process and salary ranges that have not been finalised? For Telephone & Online Staff, management refuse to address your issues of unrealistic targets and KPI’s, because the performance review detail is not contained in the Agreement. Management can change the requirements for targets / KPI’s any time!
  3. Management can at any time change its policies, (including its Remuneration policy) without notice, without discussion with staff, and without any negotiations with staff and Unions. It only makes sense to have the details of policies that contain valuable benefits to staff included in a binding Agreement.
  4. There is no provision for an independent umpire to resolve grievances and/or disputes. The vast majority of Enterprise Agreements have a standard process in their Agreements that allow for the referral of a dispute to Fair Work Australia (an independent umpire) for their assistance to resolve a dispute. Your unions have taken the unusual step of writing directly to government Ministers to express our concerns about the exclusion of Fair Work Australia as the independent umpire.
  5. It is your unions' intention, in the case of a successful NO VOTE, to contact MHS management immediately and insist that negotiations recommence to secure staff a better outcome. We will also consider seeking the assistance of Fair Work Australia with the negotiations for a new Agreement.

Two important things to do

  1. Make sure your colleagues are informed: you have the legal right to communicate your concerns with your colleagues and encourage others to Vote No. If you believe you have been pressured not to discuss these important issues, then please contact your relevant union.
  2. Join your union. The reason Medibank Private staff and workers elsewhere get better agreements is because they join their union and make sure they are active in their workplace. Membership is confidential, tax deductible and gives you access to other benefits and discounts.

Contact your union for more detailed information, to join or to arrange a workplace discussion: ANF | CPSU | USU | ASMOF

MHS Campaign How to vote No flyer | 11 September 2012 | Flyer A4 version | Flyer A5 version

How MHS's proposed Enterprise Agreement impacts on current entitlements for clinics and telephone & online employees | 11 September 2012 | Read more

Combined Unions update - To get a better Agreement, Vote NO | 6 September 2012
MHS staff who responded to our recent online poll have overwhelmingly stated they want an Enterprise Agreement (EA) that provides certainty of wage increases and avoids cuts to conditions.  The only way you can get a better 3 year deal is to VOTE NO to MHS’s sub-standard Agreement. | Read more

Medibank’s assurance to Unions re voting and distribution of information | 5 September 2012 | Read more

Unions Letter to Ministers | 5 September 2012 | Read more

ANF comment on Medibank's letter re salary model
We have been contacted by a number of nurses about Medibank’s recent mail out to TOL nurses “Taking the Mystery out of our salary model”. Read the ANF's comment here.

Combined Unions update | 23 August 2012
MHS has informed staff that your proposed pay and conditions for the next 3 years are now available in a draft Enterprise Agreement. This deal includes a number of unfavourable terms that your union negotiators strongly believe need to removed, however MHS has called negotiations to an end. It’s vital you understand the details of this proposed deal and tell your negotiators what you think so we can get MHS back to the negotiating table - see our quick poll at the link below. | Read more

Tell us what you think – together we can tell MHS to listen to your concerns and re-start negotiations. Do our 5 question quick poll here

Medibank EA Update - Nurses’ feedback re: pay rates and classifications:
The message is loud and clear from Nurses that you are very dissatisfied with Medibank’s current arrangements for setting rates of pay and providing annual wage increases. | Read more

Medibank EA Update:
First of all, thank you to all the nurses who have completed the survey. It’s been a great response. The collated results have informed the development of the ANF’s claims and will continue to support the bargaining process. If you have not filled out the survey, it is not too late to do so, your feedback will still be of assistance.

As you will know negotiations are underway with meetings taking place on a weekly basis. At this point it is difficult to say how matters are progressing. Details of the ANF’s claims can be accessed via the links below. We are also supporting the CPSU’s claims which have now been added to the web page.

If you have any queries or comments please contact your Branch or use the feedback form.

Combined Unions update on agreement negotiations | 26 July 2012

ANF Claims

CPSU Claims

Current Agreements

Negotiations have commenced for a new Medibank enterprise bargaining agreement. The agreement will cover nurses working across the Medibank business which includes:

  • Immigration,
  • Travel Doctor,
  • Workplace Health and
  • Telephone and Online services.

Your Bargaining Representatives
The ANF (NSWNA, QNU, WA, Vic, SA, Tas, ACT, NT Branches and Federal Office) are the bargaining representatives for nurses.

We want to hear from you
The ANF is currently developing a list of claims for nurses, if you have not yet filled out the online survey you still have time. Your survey information will be kept confidential and only used to inform the ANF during the enterprise bargaining process.

We will continue to update this webpage on the progress of negotiations, but it is important that members continue to provide feedback to the ANF Industrial Team via this form.