We’ve gone through Calvary’s draft general staff agreement, and we’re not impressed. Besides Calvary’s stubbornness and refusal to budge on the things that are important to you, they also tried to sneak in changes that they didn’t tell us about.

Calvary’s high paid mainland consultants advised us that they wanted to put the agreement out for access next Wednesday 26 April. As it stands we’ll be recommending workers vote NO unless Calvary can clean this mess up.

The current underhanded proposed offer will mean:

• Admin and clerical workers will need to work additional time to reach their progression points to receive wage increases

• Changes to banking of hours and public holidays that will see some employees worse off

• You’ll no longer be paid overtime or penalty rates when entitled for training

• It will be easier for Calvary to change your rosters

• Changes to the offering of part-time additional shifts that will leave people worse off

• No clear communication to all staff where they will sit in the new structures

• The issue of your allowance for training new staff will remain unaddressed

• Backpay is only back to July 2022 and not January 2022

• Domestic staff will lose their infection control clean allowance

Frankly, it’s insulting that Calvary have made these undisclosed and dubious changes that cut your entitlements – that’s why we’re strongly encouraging you to vote NO.

We’ll be out over the next few days so keep an eye out for updates to come through with the times we’ll be at Calvary visiting you.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please make sure you get in touch with us via HACSUassist.