1 day Ago By William Ton
Decked out in glittery cowboy hats and to the tunes of country classics, mental health workers have vowed to continue striking to wrangle a better pay deal following a state government's "insulting" offer. or signup to continue reading About 200 mental health workers, supported by other union allies, disrupted busy city streets as they marched to Victoria's steps of power on Wednesday to demand better pay and conditions in their enterprise bargaining agreement. Outside parliament, Shania Twain's 1997 hit Don't Impress Me Much blared through loudspeakers, expressing workers' feelings to the 12 per cent increase over four years offered by the state government which was overwhelmingly voted down by union members.
Demonstrators chanted "mental health united, we'll never be defeated" and brandished signs reading, "I voted for Labor, why don't they ever back me up?" and "3 per cent? That don't impress me much" hoping to send an audible message to the politicians inside. The government's offer is a slap in the face and risks an exodus of professionals from the industry, Health and Community Services Union assistant state secretary Rebecca Sprekos said. "This offer is unacceptable.
It's insulting and it's downright disrespectful," she said. "This would see mental health nurses earn thousands of dollars less over the life of the agreement than their colleagues working in the general sector." Union secretary Paul Healey said his members wanted pay parity with their general counterparts after they accepted the government's 12 per cent offer on top of the 15 per cent boost ordered by the Fair Work Commission for aged care nurses.
A spokesperson for Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt told AAP on Wednesday the government hoped a resolution to the dispute would be reached as soon as possible. "We will always back our dedicated mental health workforce and the extraordinary care they provide to Victorians who need it most." Ms Stitt previously told parliament the government had invested over $600 million in the mental health workforce and increased it by 25 per cent - equating to 2500 roles between 2021 and 2024.
But Mr Healey said the government was playing catch-up after years of under-investment and workers continue to struggle to keep up with demand. Occupational therapist Jason told the crowd the government's offer would create a two-tiered mental health system that will disadvantage everyone. Daily Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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