Conciliation and Draft Award Update

Conciliation Update

We are currently in the preliminary stage of conciliation with the Minns Government.  

This is a behind-closed-doors process where ASMOF is testing whether there are any clauses in our comprehensive draft Award that the Ministry is willing to agree to before we proceed to formal hearings. This means that we can use the conciliation hearings to secure improvements to the Award.

These discussions are not legally binding but they may help narrow the issues before we head into the more formal and public conciliation hearings.

Conciliation hearings are scheduled for 27, 28, and 30 May, and will continue on 10 and 13 June. We’ll keep you informed with regular updates as we move through each stage.

We’ve prepared a factsheet for members explaining exactly what conciliation and arbitration are, what the legal process looks like, how we got to this point and how members can be involved.  

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What We’re Fighting For - Our Draft Award

We have now submitted a comprehensive draft Award with the Industrial Relations Commission. You can log into your member portal to view the draft Award here.

This Award is the result of months of consultation with members and detailed legal advice. It reflects our deep commitment to securing safe working conditions, better pay, supporting members' physical and mental wellbeing, and advocating for strong standards of patient care across the public health system.

This new Award has been developed with a clear objective: to attract and retain doctors in the NSW public health system and reverse the trend of doctors leaving for other states or the private sector.

Click here to read a summary of ASMOF’s draft Award.

If you have feedback on the draft Award, fill out the survey.

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National Coverage of Our Campaign

The dangerous working conditions facing doctors in NSW have received national coverage and are on the Minns Government's radar.

On ABC’s 7.30 Report, ASMOF Junior Vice President Dr Tom Morrison featured in the segment, calling out the Minns government's refusal to fix the crisis or offer pay parity with other states:

“I don't think it's ambitious to not have to work 30 hours [continuously] treating patients… and I don't think anything the government's done has encouraged doctors to work for NSW Health.”

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ASMOF Doctor in Training Dr Fahad Khan exposed the critically unsafe hours and workloads facing junior doctors in NSW:

"I just think it's very disappointing that junior doctors have to, collectively, have a plan on how to not die when you're driving home"

Dr Khan described working multiple 15-hour shifts, slipping into microsleeps at the wheel, and colleagues who’ve developed kidney stones or wet the bed from chronic stress.

“There’s just some really ugly things the public isn’t aware about”

In some more light-hearted coverage, comedian and junior doctor Noah Szto riffed with Charlie Pickering on doctor fatigue on ABC’s The Weekly, watch here.