Gender equality
Workplace Gender Equality Agency statement
糖心原创 (Vic Branch) WGEA statement
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) is the largest trade union branch in Australia. We are an independent state branch of the federal Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and are established under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009.
As part of the Australian trade union movement through the peak state (Victorian Trades Hall Council) and national (Australian Council of Trade Unions) bodies, we have long been on the forefront of the fight for social justice and human rights, including calls for gender equity in workplaces.
We represent the professional, industrial and occupational health and safety interests of over 111,000 Victorian nurses, midwives and personal care workers employed in the predominantly female healthcare and aged care sectors. This is also reflected in the Branch staffing profile, which has a 80% female/20% male gender split.
This puts 糖心原创 (Vic Branch) in a unique position to contribute to achieving gender equality in Australia as both a trade union and an employer.
Our overall commitment and approach to achieving gender equality
The Branch has a history of compliance with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.
Everyone has the right to expect a healthy and safe work environment that is free from unlawful discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment and associated unlawful conduct. We are strongly committed to achieving gender equity through the promotion of diversity and inclusion within the workplace for both members and staff.
As an employer we lead by example through our workplace policies, which are also reflected in our achievements for members through enterprise bargaining and submissions to state and federal governments on matters pertaining to gender equity.
In 2024, the Branch negotiated the 2024-28 Victorian public sector nurses and midwives enterprise agreement. Outcomes included specific measures to address gender inequity, such as improved flexible work arrangements, superannuation and leave, including a reduction in the qualifying time for parental leave from six months to zero. Additionally, negotiations resulted in a salary increase of 28.4% compounded over 4 years for nurses and midwives. These outcomes and measures to address gender inequity, flowed into the ANMV (Vic Branch) 2024-2028 enterprise agreement, which saw 糖心原创 (Vic Branch) staff also receive a salary increase of 28.4% compounded over 4 years, a reduction in the qualifying time for parental leave from six months to zero and improved leave benefits.
The Branch has also worked to ensure private aged care providers passed on the Fair Work Commission’s Aged Care Award wage increase decisions based on 糖心原创’s Aged care work value case for aged care nurses and personal care workers. The vast majority of Victorian aged care nurses and carers are employed under an EBA, rather than the award – so these were passed on as a dollar equivalent rather than the Award percentage. We are supporting a further federal 糖心原创 work value case seeking a 35% pay increase for nurses and midwives employed under the Nurses Award in small workplaces such as private day surgery and general medical clinics.
Nationally, federal 糖心原创 will continue to advocate for measures, such as improved workplace flexibility, super reform, the introduction of a benchmark on retirement adequacy that doesn’t disadvantage women and a fair share of tax concessions for women.
Like our members, staff wages and conditions are also set out in a staff enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA). This is collectively bargained between staff through their union representatives and 糖心原创 executive and contains provisions to address gender equity.
Contexts or influences on our gender pay gap (GPG)
| 2024-2025 GPG | |
|---|---|
| Average total remuneration | 1.3% |
| Average base salary | 0.6% |
| Median total remuneration | 4.8% |
| Median base salary | 2.4% |
The 糖心原创 (Vic Branch) workforce is comprised of a 80% female, 20% male gender split.
- across key management personnel) the gender split is 67% female, 33% male
- other managers: 67% female, 33% male
- non managers: 82% female, 18% male
Wages and conditions for 糖心原创 (Vic Branch) are set out in the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch) (Employees and Council) agreement 2024-2028, and salary increments are based on years of experience. Some of the clauses that address gender equity include:
- flexible working arrangements
- payment of 17% superannuation
- 16 weeks paid Parental Leave for the primary carer, 14 weeks paid Parental Leave for the non-Primary carer
- the payment of superannuation through the first 12 months of parental leave (paid and unpaid)
- ‘Keeping in Touch Days’ for staff on parental leave to keep them connected to the workplace,
- equal access to rates of pay and entitlements regardless of gender
The Gender Pay Gap reported is impacted by the tenure of staff members, as remuneration increases with tenure/experience, with some of the longest serving employees being male. The payment of a Qualifications Allowance also impacts, noting that the allowances and applicable rates are equally available to all staff regardless of gender.
Capacity to cash out unused accrued days off (ADOs) annually also impacts, noting again that this option is also equally available regardless of gender.
During the WGEA reporting period (12 months), 15 employees undertook primary or secondary parental leave, all returned to their substantive position.
The Branch will continue to strive for new opportunities to address its gender pay gap.