NSW Health’s biggest fear is coming true, as the union plans to submit its draft award proposal to the IRC on 4 April.
The Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation plans to submit a draft award proposal that would raise the base rate of all salaried medical practitioners working in the NSW public health system to the Industrial Relations Commission on 4 April.
“We are seeking a single award to cover all salaried medical practitioners [in the public system], not just staff specialists,” ASMOF NSW executive director Andrew Holland told the IRC hearing today.
The IRC hearing to resolve the ongoing dispute between NSW public psychiatrists and the NSW Ministry of Health began yesterday.
Psychiatrists have called for a 25% pay rise, as well as a commitment to addressing critical workforce issues. NSW Health has offered a 10.5% wage increase over three years, noting that a 25% increase was not affordable.
According to the most recent numbers provided by the government, 206 intentions to resign have been tendered so far, with 62 processed, 38 withdrawn and 109 deferred.
A total of 72 staff specialist psychiatrists agreed to transition to VMO roles, but only 27 are acting. The cost of these changes remains undetermined.
Speaking at the hearing today, Mr Holland rejected suggestions that the union campaigned for the mass resignation of staff specialist psychiatrists.
“We did not advise, instruct or recommend to submit a resignation,” he said.
Mr Holland said that the 25% pay increase that the union was seeking on behalf of the psychiatrists was “to do with the crisis of a specific subset of specialists” and that there was “no demand for it” and “no claim for it at all” among other specialists.
“Our absolute assertion is that there is no intention to try and seek 25% allowance for any other member, staff specialists or otherwise,” he said.
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Mr Holland said that the provision was intended as a 12-month “stop gap” to deal with the crisis and that it would be tied to ongoing discussions over improving conditions in public mental health care.
He said that he believed the proposal was drafted in such a way that it would eventually be replaced by a longer-term award agreed to by the Commission.
Mr Holland said that, given the media coverage of this dispute, other specialists would be “knocking on our door” if they wanted the union to pursue similar action on their behalf.
“The majority of our members understand the specific, distinct crisis that our psychiatry members and the mental health system are facing.”
Mr Holland said ASMOF was finalising a new draft award proposal that would apply to all salaried medical practitioners working in the NSW public health system.
“We are seeking a single award to cover all salaried medical practitioners, not just staff specialists,” he said.
It is understood that the draft award would include a base rate increase to bring pay parity with other states and on top of that a pay increase that would increase over three years.
Mr Holland said he had to clarify whether the total proposed increase exceeded 25% but to his knowledge the base rate would be less than 25%.
The proposal will be filed with the Commission on 4 April.
Mr Holland said that, should an interim wage increase be granted to staff specialist psychiatrists to resolve the dispute, it would not be intended that the interim pay increase would “double up or double dip” with any eventual base rate award increase.
“I expect it would be the award that provides the more generous provision [that] would apply,” he said.
It is understood that the new proposal would include a “non-private practice option” that would offer a higher base rate but remove the right to private practice.
“It was our attempt to bring to the table the opportunity to say there is money to be saved if you engage with us on effectively removing the current rights of private practice structure,” he said.
There are also ongoing discussions by the union concerning possible industrial action which may occur next month to bring the government “back to the bargaining table”.
Mr Holland said these may include work stoppages.
Senior psychiatrist and clinical director at Royal North Shore hospital Dr Prachi Brahmbhat said that there was competitiveness between states over psychiatrists as a limited resource.
“Unfortunately, [NSW] are losing in that race.”
