United Voice News
Work bans still in place in hospitals after commissioner decides they are not endangering patients
Commissioner Harrison has decided not to issue orders preventing health support workers from carrying out minor work bans in hospitals after a hearing in the West Australian Industrial Relations Commission on Friday afternoon.
After hearing arguments from both the state government and United Voice, she decided that the bans are not putting patients in danger and so issued no orders stopping them.
As such the work bans remain in place.
She has also ordered that the government should not stop peoples’ pay for participating in work bans while the issue is being dealt with.
Dave Kelly, secretary of United Voice said: “The Commissioner not issuing any orders illustrates that the health minister has been using the issue of elective surgery as a political football to try and stop our campaign against privatisation.
“How can a work ban of not emptying a bin or moving a meal tray stop an elective surgery?
“If they try to stop the wages of workers for not doing duties which take little more than 10 minutes of their time to do in a week, it will show to everyone in Western Australia just what a couple of bully boys Colin Barnett and Kim Hames are.
“It is ridiculous and heartless to threaten to stop the wages of low paid support workers who are already struggling on low wages as it is. The commissioner is right to order the government not to stop their pay.
“We welcome the commissioner’s decision and hope this issue can be resolved quickly.”
The commissioner will be visiting RPH and Charlies to see for herself the impact of the work bans on Saturday morning from 11.30am. This will be followed by another hearing at the WAIRC.
