United Voice News
Peel workers reject offer in ballot
Low paid enrolled nurses and health support workers at Peel Health Campus have overwhelmingly rejected a pay and conditions deal from management in an official ballot.
79% of the 123 workers who would have been covered by the new deal rejected it.
The three year offer of 3.5%, 3% and 3% with no back pay or penalties on sick leave had already been rejected by LHMU members at the hospital, who have staged a determined campaign including industrial action over the last few months.
But management at the privately run, public hospital put the offer out to ballot anyway.
'Arrogance'
“This just goes to show the arrogance of the management at Peel in putting out this agreement was completely misplaced and it has backfired on them,” said Carolyn Smith, assistant secretary of the LHMU.
“These workers, who are the lowest paid hospital workers in the state, have been waiting for a pay rise now for 20 months. It’s high time Peel management paid them what they are worth instead of stalling all the time.”
In May, Peel workers including patient care assistants, kitchen staff, orderlies and cleaners, staged a stop work meeting at the front of the hospital where they were supported by shadow health minister Roger Cook and local Labor MP David Templeman.
Later in the month, the workers were told they could not work in the hospital while wearing T-shirts over their uniforms which stated: “Lowest paid hospital worker in WA. Privatisation Stinks!” and they were effectively locked out.
'Fiasco'
Ms Smith added: “The health minister Kim Hames has so far done nothing to help these workers. He met with Peel Health Campus boss Jon Fogarty in late May but there has yet to be any benefit for workers.
“We are now calling on the health minister to do his job and sort out the fiasco at this public hospital.”
Ms Smith also warned that the fate of low paid Peel workers could be repeated at the three new hospitals in WA which the state government wants to privatise. Essential services in the Fiona Stanley hospital, Midland Health Campus and the new childrens’ hospital in Perth will be privatised under government plans.
“Private operators are focused more on the bottom line than they are about patient care or their staff. We fear that the problems being experienced at Peel will be on a far bigger scale if Fiona Stanley is privatised.”
Peel management have called a meeting with workers on Wednesday, July 7, where it is hoped negotiations can continue.
LHMU members are meeting on Thursday where they will be wearing badges which simply state 79%.
