Union Pushes to Bring Optometrists Under Health Award in Landmark Fair Work Bid

The Health Services Union (HSU) is mounting a formal challenge at the Fair Work Commission to have optometrists explicitly recognised under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, a move that could fundamentally reshape working conditions across Australia's corporate-dominated optometry sector.

The campaign, launched under the banner Focus on Optometry, marks a significant escalation in a growing movement among employed optometrists who say years of corporate consolidation have eroded their professional autonomy, pushed them toward retail-style sales targets, and left their workplace entitlements lagging far behind those of comparable health professionals.

The HSU plans to lodge an application to vary the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (HPSS Award) with the Fair Work Commission in June 2026. If successful, the case would see optometrists explicitly listed as health professionals under the Award for the first time, unlocking minimum pay floors, weekend and public holiday rates, guaranteed breaks, fair rostering provisions, and structured career pathways.

"The Award sets the minimum standards for most health professionals, but optometrists are not named on the list," the union said in materials accompanying the campaign. "Our case will demonstrate that optometrists provide health care like any other health professionals covered by the Award."

The union is also seeking the backing of Optometry Australia, the profession's peak body, via a public petition though it has been careful to draw a distinction between the two organisations. "OA supports your profession. HSU protects and improves your rights at work," the campaign states, noting that some practitioners already hold dual membership.

Grassroots Origins

The campaign has its roots in a grassroots network called Phoropter Free Fridays (PFF), formed in late 2024 by a group of optometrists and independent practice owners frustrated by the direction of the profession. The group has been advocating for fair conditions, better pay, and a return to patient-centred care, and has since aligned with the HSU to pursue formal industrial change.

NSW-based optometrist Shereen Kassir, one of several practitioners who have publicly shared their experiences as part of the campaign, said the pressures were affecting both practitioners and patients. "Optometrists are facing burnout, reduced consultation times, and increasing KPI pressures — sometimes at the expense of patient care," she said. "I joined the union because meaningful change will only happen through collective solidarity."

Fellow NSW optometrist Rory Dowdall described a culture in some workplaces he found deeply troubling. "Hearing colleagues describe denied toilet breaks, pressure around taking leave, bullying, and unsafe patient loads showed something had to change," he said.

Nina Kolhatkar, also based in NSW, pointed to the broader structural issue. "The corporatisation of optometry threatens our clinical autonomy. Facing stagnant pay and insecurity, it feels daunting to ask for better."

What's at Stake

The HPSS Award case is being framed by the HSU as a foundational step one that must precede any broader gains on caseloads, professional development access, rostering flexibility, or pay increases. Without an Award underpinning their entitlements, the union argues, optometrists lack the industrial base needed to negotiate meaningfully with employers.

The Fair Work Commission process is expected to take a year or more following lodgement. The HSU has committed to keeping members updated throughout proceedings via email communications and online events at key milestones.

In the meantime, the union is urging optometrists to join and participate actively in the campaign, a point it has emphasised strongly. "This case won't succeed if we don't have optometrists joining the HSU," it has said plainly.

For optometry students, the barrier to entry is low: student membership is free in most states, or capped at $20 per year.

A Profession at a Crossroads

The campaign arrives at a time when the optometry sector is grappling with the consequences of widespread corporate ownership, which critics say has recast highly trained clinicians as retail sales staff. The HSU's campaign is an explicit challenge to that model and a signal that a growing number of practitioners are no longer prepared to accept it quietly.

Whether the Fair Work Commission agrees that optometrists belong explicitly within the HPSS Award will be a pivotal question for the profession. A positive determination would not only improve conditions for employed optometrists directly, but would also set a precedent for how the healthcare workforce more broadly is recognised and protected under Australian industrial law.

The petition to Optometry Australia and the HSU membership form are both available at focusonoptometry.com.au