VICTORIA'S top health bureaucrats were given a 46 per cent pay rise last financial year, worth more than $57,000 each.

The increase has infuriated nurses, who are locked in a wage row with the state government, which is offering a basic 2.5 per cent pay rise, plus any negotiated productivity savings.   :(

The Victorian Department of Health's annual report shows its 47 executives were paid an average of almost $180,975 each last financial year, compared with $123,614 the year before.


It was by far the biggest increase in the state bureaucracy, with executives typically given 15 per cent more pay across 11 government departments, excluding bonuses.

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said it was disgusting, with the average pay rise for each executive enough to employ a nurse with eight years experience.  

''The thought that comes to mind is pigs around a trough,'' she said.  >:(

The shadow minister for industrial relations, Tim Pallas, said it was incumbent on Premier Ted Baillieu to explain why government executives deserved pay rises far in excess of that being offered nurses, teachers and other public servants.

''While the Department of Health is looking to lock out nurses, its department executives have each happily pocketed a 46 per cent increase in total remuneration,'' he said.   :(

''Mr Baillieu wants to keep down wages of hard-working nurses and cut nurse numbers, yet he is happy for departmental executives to receive significant salary increases well above the government's 2.5 per cent pay offer for public sector workers.'   :(

A spokeswoman for Health Minister David Davis said the assessment for was not valid for health department executives because the reporting requirements were different between the two financial years. Nor did the analysis consider other entitlements ''outside of normal salary provisions,'' she said.

An analysis of the annual reports of 11 government departments shows there were 639 executives in 2010-11. That was 33 fewer than the previous year, although the total wage bill jumped to $118.5 million from $108.0 million. The best-paid executives were from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, with an average wage of $214,754, up from $196,429 the previous year.

Department of Human Services executives got the second-biggest increases, with the annual average salaries rising by 34 per cent, a jump of $40,622.

But Mr Baillieu appears to have practiced what he is preaching when it comes to his own department. Executives from the Department of Premier and Cabinet collected an average of 2.3 per cent less, although numbers there increased from 41 to 44. The government also awarded members of Parliament a basic 2.5 per cent increase, well below a remuneration tribunal recommendation, and well below the pay offer set to be received by federal politicians.

Nurses remain locked in talks after previously defying an order by the industrial umpire to cease a campaign of bed closures. This follows revelations in The Sunday Age of a cabinet plan to slash the annual nursing budget by cutting nurse-patient ratios.   :(

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/health-bureaucrats-win-46-pay-rise-20111201-1o976.html#ixzz1fJbcmRbu

its pretty much the same thing with the feds.. they get a whopping 30% and we get told to tighten the belt..

are we all going crazy or does this actually make sense to some people?

It's an utter disgrace that nurses are held to ransom by their own objective to care for people.
The job that they do is extremely difficult and very much heartfelt.
Nurses are also sacrificing their emotions day in day out, they need a bit of help from the general public.

Money won't do it, but it may go towards a slight aspect of appreciation for the heartfelt job that they do.
They are absolutely magnificent, and all they want is a little appreciation.

VICTORIA'S top health bureaucrats were given a 46 per cent pay rise last financial year, worth more than $57,000 each.

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said it was disgusting, with the average pay rise for each executive enough to employ a nurse with eight years experience.


$57,000 for an eight year experienced nurse shows you how much out of touch the unions are.

Seems dear Lisa forgot penalty rates for afternoon shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts and public holidays, workers comp, superannuation, pay to have agency nurses to cover sickies and holidays, holiday leave loading.

Unions are still as dumb as they have always been.

blackadder wrote on Dec 2^nd, 2011 at 6:51am:

VICTORIA'S top health bureaucrats were given a 46 per cent pay rise last financial year, worth more than $57,000 each. Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said it was disgusting, with the average pay rise for each executive enough to employ a nurse with eight years experience. $57,000 for an eight year experienced nurse shows you how much out of touch the unions are. Seems dear Lisa forgot penalty rates for afternoon shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts and public holidays, workers comp, superannuation, pay to have agency nurses to cover sickies and holidays, holiday leave loading. Unions are still as dumb as they have always been.

Bet you change your tune if/when you find yourself in need of these despised, overpaid nurses.

Attitudes like yours make me want to barf!

Bob Brown said it was disgusting that the parliament voted for an increase in nurses, teachers and police wages, but didn't have to vote for their own huge wage increase, they deliberately changed the law to sidestep the voting process.

The 1% will come unstuck sooner or later.

Revolution anyone?

blackadder wrote on Dec 2^nd, 2011 at 6:51am:

VICTORIA'S top health bureaucrats were given a 46 per cent pay rise last financial year, worth more than $57,000 each. Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said it was disgusting, with the average pay rise for each executive enough to employ a nurse with eight years experience. $57,000 for an eight year experienced nurse shows you how much out of touch the unions are. Seems dear Lisa forgot penalty rates for afternoon shifts, night shifts, weekend shifts and public holidays, workers comp, superannuation, pay to have agency nurses to cover sickies and holidays, holiday leave loading. Unions are still as dumb as they have always been.

What a ridiculous comment!
Entitlements have been on the downturn ever since Johhny fukhole.
You have absolutely no idea about working odd hours, so don't even speak about it OK?

Nurses need to sacrifice their prime objective to make people sit up and notice. There is no law against withdrawing care.

Bet you change your tune if/when you find yourself in need of these despised, overpaid nurses.

Attitudes like yours make me want to barf!

I may no comment about 'despising' or  Nurses being over paid numnuts.

Just pointing out a few facts for you and Lisa.

BTW I love your comment above as you have no idea about me or my family.

I am glad I don't need to make a fool of you as you are doing such a good job by yourself.

What a ridiculous comment!
Entitlements have been on the downturn ever since Johhny fukhole.
You have absolutely no idea about working odd hours, so don't even speak about it OK?

I don't huh?

How many joints have you had this morning?

You have not pointed out any facts in the least.

Try again numbnut.

Go away, you lack life experience.

Amadd wrote on Dec 2^nd, 2011 at 7:24am:

Go away, you lack life experience.

Interesting how you know about my life. Have we met?

It's quite simple to know what you don't know.

Amadd wrote on Dec 2^nd, 2011 at 7:31am:

It's quite simple to know what you don't know.

Well if that is the case than you know nothing.

Sure mate, you don't know nothing.

How 'bout entering the room properly before you spout your wisdom?

All that I am saying is that you should respect nurses for the amazing job that they do. And for the amazing emotional control that they have.

There is no bureaucrat which could match them IMO. In my experienced opinion.

When you need them, you will agree with me.

Blackadder made a point, there is no way an 8 year veteran in nursing is only on $57k.  The unions made a joke of themselves by making such a claim.

The $57k would be the base rate, but once you put shift, nights, weekends and every thing else add another $30k to $40k.

To make such a claim by the unions is just laughable.  No 8 year veteran will work for $57k.

Australians really need to step back and see how other people in other countries would deal & handle a similar situation whereby Government politicians and bureaucrats could just automatically give themselves HUGH pay increase at tax payers expense. Meanwhile IMPORTANT people in the community like nurses had to fight and “strike” for small and modest increases to their wages.

People in other countries wouldn’t let Government politicians and bureaucrats get away with it, millions would march in the streets in protest much like the French people did when their Government wanted to increase the pension from 60 to 62.

It’s a difficult thing to have to say, but Australians have turned into a bunch of gutless sheep not willing to stand up and fight anymore for their own rights - and are letting 300 parasite pollies dictate wrong and unfair decisions to the whole 20 million of us even when we know something like the nurses fight for proper wages and conditions ratios for their patients is a just cause.  

As my grandmother said the other night: “when did Aussies turn into being such a pack of gutless wonders?”  

culldav wrote on Dec 2^nd, 2011 at 8:54am:

Australians really need to step back and see how other people in other countries would deal & handle a similar situation whereby Government politicians and bureaucrats could just automatically give themselves HUGH pay increase at tax payers expense. Meanwhile IMPORTANT people in the community like nurses had to fight and “strike” for small and modest increases to their wages. People in other countries wouldn’t let Government politicians and bureaucrats get away with it, millions would march in the streets in protest much like the French people did when their Government wanted to increase the pension from 60 to 62. It’s a difficult thing to have to say, but Australians have turned into a bunch of gutless sheep not willing to stand up and fight anymore for their own rights - and are letting 300 parasite pollies dictate wrong and unfair decisions to the whole 20 million of us even when we know something like the nurses fight for proper wages and conditions ratios for their patients is a just cause.   As my grandmother said the other night: “when did Aussies turn into being such a pack of gutless wonders?”

I agree

but  when a few souls marched on parliament house claiming they should have a vote on this CARBON TAX that they were lied too about

.. those on here saw fit to ridicule them and basically say they didnt know what they were talking about because they were all OLD..and if there was any justice they would all be dead.. or at least some of them.

so its a bit like when you see a fight in the street you now think twice before getting involved because you too could end up on lifesupport or charged by the police..we live in a strange world.

I love the way this fed polliea pay rise comes right in the middle of their 4 years... amazing it never comes the week before an election does it?????.. maybe if we are ever given a say in any of this... we can ask that these small details come out just a few weeks before an election so we paupers can digest it..especially when we are being told...

hey as a single pensioner you could end up $4 a week better off than you have ever been when the CT kicks in..I will be lucky to afford a couple of tomatoes by then.. or maybe it will pay for the gravy but not the meat and 3 veg,

I dont know that I begrudge these guys more money!!!!!!.. slipper YES a big YES...but I do think the timing is a bit rich. when they had a wage freeze they got a Tax free expenses rise.... we poor people dont get tax free expenses...

they have quite a cushy little number really

Personally, I believe the main reason why Australians don’t protest and fight anymore is because of dilution in the population. We have vast numbers of Asian and other ethnic cultures that have came to Australia who have left their own homeland instead of fighting for it, so therefore one could say these individuals would not stand up and fight or protest against anything. They would simply hide in the shadows and accept anything. I don’t think there is enough white or European Australians left in Australia to make a difference.

Australia has became the planets human garbage dump.

Look at how many dumb Aussies still believe in this carbon tax hoax that is now being scientifically touted as being a hoax portrayed on Australia because of the wording (per capita) and not as the individual country as the polluter.

All scientists NOW believe that only 3% of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is man made, but Gillard and her dooms-days clown brigade had people believing the world was coming to an end and the sea was rising and was going to swamp many low lying Island Nations.

As people from other countries are now seeing; Australians are just dumb and backward.