Alpine Health addresses the application of crib allowance in the Nurses and Midwives Enterprise Agreement 2020-2024.

Alpine Health Nurses and Midwives are employed under a collective agreement that applies to all Public Health Services in Victoria. The Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2020-2024 provides for many allowances for nurses and midwives under a broad range of different circumstances.

Alpine Health has become aware that the application of crib time as a component of clause 44 of the Nurses and Midwives (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2020-2024 has been applied inconsistently across the sites of Mt Beauty, Myrtleford and Bright resulting in some clinical staff being overpaid and some clinical staff being underpaid.

Alpine Health has been working with the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation (ANMF) Victoria and the Victorian Hospital Industrial Association (VHIA) to address the issues surrounding the payment of this allowance. With the ANMF, Alpine Health have developed a course of action to resolve the issue and have presented staff with a detailed Change Impact Statement for discussion and consultation.

The Change Impact Statement proposes an approach that will ensure the correct application of the crib allowance and a method of the treatment of historical payments over a six year period.

A series of consultations with clinical staff, the ANMF and Alpine Health are currently underway to discuss the change impact statement and work towards an agreed way forward to resolve the issue, including ensuring that no clinical staff members will be left owing monies to Alpine Health.