Health union bid to beat pay cap
Hospital workers will kick-off a campaign for a pay rise to match the generous deal given to nurses with mass meetings next week.
The Health Services Union said almost 20,000 members and potential members affected by the wage talks would attend lunch-time meetings as part of its campaign for a 9 per cent pay rise over two years - 4 per cent in July and 5 per cent a year later.
Under the State Government wages policy, they are eligible only for inflation-linked increases, now pegged at 2.5 per cent.
But HSU boss Dan Hill said the workers, including physiotherapists, pharmacists and clerical staff, would fight for more because they deserved the same rise given to nurses.
Nurses won a 14 per cent rise over three years after negotiating with the Government during the sensitive election period.
Health Minister Kim Hames recently argued the Government was subjected to "illegitimate pressure" from the nurses' union during negotiations.
Doctors used the deal as a precedent when they negotiated an extra 11 per cent over three years.
Mr Hill reiterated the HSU campaign could lead to industrial stoppages that could disrupt hospitals across the State.
"Doctors and nurses are not the only ones involved in providing quality health care," Mr Hill said.
He was concerned failure to match the nurses' deal would create division in what was an integrated health workforce.
If the union gets a two-year agreement, it will expire about the same time as the deals for doctors and nurses.
This would force the Government to face off against almost the entire hospital workforce at the same time, potentially giving unions extra leverage.
Commerce Minister Michael Mischin said the negotiations had only just begun, with one meeting on the matter so far, and the current agreement was not due to expire until June.
But in a sign of the Government's approach, Mr Mischin reiterated the official wages policy when asked to respond to the HSU claim.
"These negotiations are subject to the Government wages statement 2014, which caps wage increases at projected CPI," he said.
