Opal HealthCare aged care staff in New South Wales have rejected a proposed enterprise agreement (EA), which included a pay rise of 8.25% over three years (2.25%, 3% and 3%).
An Opal HealthCare spokesperson told The SOURCE, "Opal HealthCare team members in NSW recently chose to continue negotiations for their upcoming Enterprise Agreement after voting down an earlier offer."
The proposed pay rises were on top of the up to 15% increase a large portion of the team received from 1 July 2023, following the Fair Work Commission's Work Value decision.
After the unsuccessful vote, workers were asked to complete a survey about how they voted, according to the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives' Association (NSWNMA).
The Opal HealthCare spokesperson confirmed they asked staff for feedback.
“To understand what is important to our team members, we asked them to provide voluntary feedback on why they believed the overall proposed agreement was unsuccessful, together with suggestions on what might be supported in the future," they said.
"All feedback was voluntary and anonymous, and designed to lead to a future successful outcome.
“At no time were team members asked which way they voted, despite the NSWNMA claiming so. We have sought evidence from the NSWNMA on this allegation and they have declined to provide any evidence.
”Opal HealthCare will continue to negotiate in good faith with our team members," the spokesperson said.
Estia Health is also currently going through EA bargaining at the moment, and agreements have recently been signed with several small providers.
