United Voice News
Government hospital delegates reject pay offer
Delegates from metro hospitals have voted to reject the Liberal state government’s latest pay offer for hospital support workers.
Colin Barnett wants to pay these essential workers, who include orderlies, patient care assistants, cleaners, sterilisation staff and catering workers, 62c p/h. This increase is just 12 cents more per hour than the original 50c p/h offer and still comes nowhere near the $1.20 p/h raise the workers want.
The Premier and his health minister Kim Hames also want the workers to trade off on a long list of conditions and say it will not settle the pay dispute [even if wages are agreed] unless it is able to implement its privatisation plans in hospitals.
Dave Kelly, secretary of the LHMU said: “The government’s new two year pay deal of 3% and 3% was rejected by members because it comes nowhere near covering the huge cost of living rises and bill increases they are having to afford.
“Our members can’t understand why this government is making such a big issue in these negotiations about privatisation. We thought we were negotiating on wages but this clearly isn’t the case.
“If the government persists with the privatisation of services as its number one issue, it’s very difficult to see a way out of this dispute.”
Members in metro and country hospitals are continuing to strictly follow the Department of Health guidelines relating to cleaning, equipment and occupational health and safety.
The move has already been creating problems in hospitals and has affected the implementation of the four hour rule.
