Unions representing workers – including the health services union and the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association – began negotiating shortly after the current agreement expired at the end of 2017. The IRT Group has not strayed from its initial offer of a 2.5 per cent pay increase per year over the three-year contract. “We believe we are proposing an agreement that will guarantee our employees a competitive wage package (top 10 in the aged care sector),” he said. After months of negotiations – and an unprecedented vote – more than 2150 IRT workers will return to the polls next week to vote on the same enterprise agreement offer. Mr Millington said the union had not run another NO campaign because of the lack of support for union actions – and the fact that workers are losing their wages. Please note that all comments produced or posted here are linked by the terms and conditions of online discussion. . HSU (Aged Care) regional organizer Randall Millington said workers felt the organization`s offer was “normal.” Employees will now vote on the IRT offer, with an electronic vote that will open next Monday and end on June 7. In addition to the 2.5 per cent annual increase, additional benefits were proposed, including paid parental leave (12 weeks), increased paid partnership leave (2 weeks) and special leave for domestic and domestic violence. Representatives of the HSU then asked the Fair Work Commission for a vote on the protected measures; However, workers voted against it. “We had to get 51% of our members to say yes, but we only got 48%,” Millington said. “I think the problem was that our workers felt they deserved a better offer, but they didn`t want to fight and disadvantage their customers – most of them old, frail and vulnerable.” Members want a 3 per cent minimum wage increase for the next three years – that`s not an inappropriate requirement given that IRT is a multi-billion dollar company that made a profit of $33 million last year,” he said. “We launched an effective NO campaign for the first round of voting in early April – 66% of workers voted for the offer.” “They were willing to sacrifice their rights to care for the most vulnerable.” Patrick Reid, CEO of the IRT Group, said EA`s “final project” had been “extensively consulted” with employees.