United Voice News
Thousands of hospital workers to begin industrial action over government's broken promise on privatisation
Thousands of public hospitals workers will commence industrial action over the next fortnight over Barnett Government plans to privatise services in WA hospitals.
Just weeks after signing a new two year pay and conditions deal with hospital support workers which included a no privatisation clause, the government has written to the LHMU saying it will continue to push its plans to privatise new hospitals in the state including at the Fiona Stanley Hospital.
The LHMU’s executive body has authorised an escalating program of industrial action that will hit every government hospital in the state. The industrial action could include work bans, stop work meetings and rallies.
LHMU Secretary Dave Kelly said the Barnett government was steamrolling public opinion and forging ahead with its privatisation plans.
“Hospital workers know how bad privatisation is for the quality of healthcare, which is why they fought very hard to ensure the anti-privatisation clause remained in their agreement,” Mr Kelly said.
“Our members are outraged that Colin Barnett is ignoring the anti-privatisation agreement and pushing ahead with his plans to get companies like Serco into our public hospitals.
“Privatisation is bad for healthcare, because private companies have to make a profit. Every dollar of profit companies like Serco take out of our public health system is a dollar not spent on caring for people in our hospitals.
“Our members also know that privatisation will impact job security, their pay rates and to the hospitals they work in if it is allowed to happen at Fiona Stanley Hospital, Midland Health Campus and the new children’s hospital. Serco has even said they want to replace workers with robots at the new Fiona Stanley Hospital.
“How can this government press ahead with its privatisation agenda when the ink is barely dry on an agreement which says the existing no privatisation provisions will remain?
“Clearly this government wants to roll out its privatisation plans to all government hospitals and not just the new ones. If they are not going to bother honouring the agreement then our members are going to have something to say about this.”
Last week, independent polling showed the government’s privatisation policy is prompting deep disatisfaction in marginal seats.
The vote on Labor’s No Privatisation in Schools and Hospitals bill is also likely to go down to the wire with government MP Vince Catania crossing the floor to support it along with independents Adele Carles and John Bowler.
