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Disappointingly, the AMA (WA) has since been advised that 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. 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.

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. The Government’s new wages policy has been applied to teachers in similar circumstances, but not to our hardworking doctors. 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.

During negotiations for a new industrial agreement, the AMA (WA) sought wages increases in line with CPI. CPI salary increase was 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 AMA (WA) has long advocated for better working conditions for WA’s public hospital doctors, successfully securing significant improvements to conditions in the new WA Health System – Medical Practitioners – AMA Industrial Agreement 2022 including: permanency for senior doctors; clarification that entitlements are portable across WA Health, Health Service Providers, and between DiT and senior doctor classifications; the ability to break service to undertake training or employment relevant to professional skills for up to 24 months, and return to WA Health with leave and service entitlements preserved; and improved conditions for clinical rotations for DiTs, including an increase in casual loading rates of pay.

The AMA (WA) understands 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, and a $2,500 one-off cost of living payment paid at this time.

To view the new WA Health System – Medical Practitioners – AMA Industrial Agreement 2022 click here.

To view the WA Government’s media statement on the new public sector wages policy, click here.

To view the AMA (WA)’s log of claims related to industrial agreement negotiations, click here.

AMA (WA) members with enquiries about new industrial agreement can contact the Industrial Relations Team by emailing industrial@amawa.com.au

WA Health has confirmed the pay arrangements for doctors:

Medical practitioners employed pursuant to the Agreement will receive a one-off $2,500 ‘Cost of Living Payment’ on the pay day falling 13 October 2022, which will be applied in accordance with Government Sector Labour Relations Guidelines on the following basis:

1. Full-time practitioners will receive $2,500 (part-time, sessional and casual practitioners will receive a pro-rata entitlement).
2. Payment for part-time practitioners will be pro-rated according to their full-time equivalent (FTE) status as at 29 August 2022 (the date payroll data is extracted to facilitate payment on the relevant pay day).
3. Payment for casual practitioners will be pro-rated according to their average FTE status over the preceding 12 months from the date payroll data is extracted (i.e. 30/08/2021 to 29/08/2022). If a casual practitioner has been engaged for less than 12 months, the average FTE status will be calculated over their entire period of employment.
4. Payment will not be made to any practitioner who is terminated prior to 13 October 2022 or commences after this date.

Payment will be made to practitioners who are on paid or unpaid leave on 13 October 2022.

Payment will attract income tax and superannuation.

Pending a response from the Premier in relation to the AMA (WA)’s request that the WA Government apply the Government Wages Policy to doctors from July 2022, the $1,000 salary increase which is currently to apply on and from 1 July 2022 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.