BY MARIA VOUKELATOS

BRISBANE — On July 18, a 1500-strong rally of health workers marched to Parliament House demanding fair wages and conditions. Solidarity stop-work meetings happened simultaneously at major health centres across the state including Toowoomba, Nabour, Ipswich, Cairns, Rockhampton and Thursday Island.

The rally was attended by members of at least 10 different unions which are negotiating a new enterprise bargaining agreement for health workers with the state government.

Julie Bignall, branch secretary of the Australian Services Union spoke of the health workers commitment to deliver proper services to the community. They needed, she said, adequate funding to do that: “But rather than give us a fair go [the government] told us there is nothing on the table and nothing in the cupboard, and we are going to take more away from you as well.”

Alex Scott, the general secretary of the Queensland Public Sector Union, told the crowd that the “arrogant and out of touch Labor government” was refusing to negotiate, and simply offering a maximum of a 3% pay rise.

“Private sector workers are guaranteed 6%”, Scott said. “And a pay rise of more than 6% is guaranteed to Queensland MPs. Health workers provide vital services to the community and work hard to do that. We aren’t accepting 3% from the government.”

Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Grace Grace told the workers that they had the community’s support: “People know that you are right in wanting fair wages and conditions.” She condemned the use of hospital volunteers as scabs, and reaffirmed the unions’ commitment to the struggle. “This statewide stoppage sends a clear message to Premier Peter Beattie’s government — we want an outcome and we will win because we are right.”

The rally decided to continue industrial action until the unions’ demands were met.

From Green Left Weekly, July 24, 2002.
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