The AMA (WA) has written to Premier Mark McGowan calling for the revised public sector wages policy to fully apply to Western Australia’s public hospital doctors.
The policy, announced in a WA Government media statement on July 31st and communicated in a global message sent to all WA Health staff, outlines a 3 per cent wage increase per annum for two years and a one-off $2,500 cost-of-living payment for workers covered by industrial agreements.
However, the policy has not been fully applied to doctors in the same way it has been applied to all other public sector workers with recently registered industrial agreements, with the new 3 per cent salary increase only applying to doctors from 1 July 2023, and a $1,000 salary increase being applied in 2022.
“The AMA (WA) strongly believes that WA’s public hospital doctors deserve the new government wages policy of 3 per cent per annum in both 2022 and 2023,” the Association stated.
“We see this as an opportunity for the Government to invigorate an otherwise overburdened and demoralised workforce at a time when doctors, and particularly doctors in training (DiTs), are required to work in increasingly pressured circumstances, with the WA health system suffering ongoing workforce shortages.”
The AMA (WA) said its understanding was that doctors covered by the new industrial agreement will have their salaries adjusted from October this year, with the applicable back pay dated from 1 July 2022 – as agreed prior to the Government’s new wages policy – alongside the $2,500 one-off payment.
Negotiations for a new industrial agreement between the AMA (WA) and WA Health had already concluded and an in-principle agreement had been accepted when the new wages policy was announced.
During those negotiations, the AMA (WA) sought wages increases in line with CPI, one of 86 claims presented to the WA Health Director General by the AMA (WA) as part of negotiations – salary increases were also sought at a political level by AMA (WA) President Dr Mark Duncan-Smith and refused.
“The Government’s new wages policy has been applied to teachers in similar circumstances, but not to our hardworking doctors,” the AMA (WA) said.
“This is the second time doctors have been excluded from WA Government Wages Policy, with WA Health’s Director General advising the AMA (WA) in January 2022 that the previous Government Wages Policy of 2.5 per cent would not apply to doctors.”
Pending a response from the Premier, the $1,000 salary increase will be implemented as follows:
- Ascender Pay
- The new rates will be implemented as of the 10/10/2022, with the first pay day falling on 27/10/2022 (pay period dates being 10/10/2022 – 23/10/2022)
- Retrospective back pay will be paid for the period of 01/07/2022 – 09/10/2022 on the pay day falling 27 October 2022
- Lattice
- The new rates will be implemented as of the 10/10/2022, with the first pay day falling on 27/10/2022 (pay period dates being 10/10/2022 – 23/10/2022)
- Retrospective back pay will be paid for the period of 01/07/2022 – 09/10/2022 on the pay day falling 24 November 2022