United Voice

The work bans will be carried out by support staff like orderlies, cleaners, patient care assistants, sterilisation technicians and catering staff at metro and country hospitals across the state.
The bans are:
•    Not moving linen;
•    Not emptying rubbish bins;
•    Not doing any sterilisation work for private hospitals;
•    Not picking up meal trays after patients have finished their meals.
The decision to begin the work bans was taken by members of the health support worker negotiating committee in an emergency meeting late on Tuesday night.
The industrial action is in response to the government’s latest low pay offer of 3% and 3% over two years, their continued refusal to bargain in good faith at negotiations, and their insistence on ploughing forward with their plans to privatise new hospitals while not ruling out privatisation in existing hospitals.  

Frightening privatisation agenda
Carolyn Smith, assistant secretary of the LHMU said: “The Barnett government say there is no way it will settle this dispute unless it is able to implement its frightening privatisation agenda in hospitals.
“They are determined to change the wording in the new agreement so they can put all new hospital support employees on temporary and fixed term contracts. This means they can slash jobs without paying redundancy and can privatise more easily.
“Their pay offer is terrible but this is the main sticking point for our members.
“We all know that privatisation will lead to lower standards and poorer quality of care in our hospitals. We also know that it will result in fewer jobs, lower pay and increased workloads for hospital workers.”
Health support workers are expecting the government to threaten to stop their pay completely for participating in the minor work bans.
“If the Barnett government carries out its threat to stop workers’ pay, it would typify their heavy-handed approach in disputes with low paid workers,” added Ms Smith.  “They did the same to around 100 low paid education support workers last year but public pressure forced them into an embarrassing u-turn. These workers ended up getting their money back.
“The bans are designed to have minimal impact on patient care but send a strong message to the Barnett government about how important our workers are in hospitals.
“We think it will affect the four hour rule and slow down processes in hospitals.”
The government’s latest pay offer to health support workers is 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.
“How are they expected to afford the huge cost of living rises and bill increases imposed by this government on this pay offer?” Asked Ms Smith.
“Our members are furious and will not stand for this lack of respect from Colin Barnett and co.”
The industrial action follows on from health support workers across the state strictly following Department of Health Guidelines relating to cleaning, equipment and occupational health and safety for two weeks.
The move affected the implementation of the four hour rule.