By Seetal Dodd MELBOURNE — Hospital services in the northern region, covering the Austin, Repatriation, Fairfield, PANCH, and Bundoora hospitals, are entering their third week of industrial action. Strong bans have been in place on all hospital campuses over management's intentions to bring in forced redundancies when it closes Fairfield in the middle of this year. Redundancy packages include pay-outs which are less than have been given in voluntary departure packages and a clause prohibiting redundant workers from working in the public sector for three years. Workers over 55 years old get only half the pay-out. After three weeks of bans, management has conceded nothing. Many "volunteers" or scabs were employed to work at Fairfield. On March 7, management went on the offensive. Starting at 7am, workers received personally addressed and delivered forms instructing them to "resume within five minutes the full range of duties appropriate to your position". The form threatened: "You will be required to leave the premises immediately and you will forfeit any pay until you demonstrate your preparedness to comply with the foregoing instructions". The forms also told workers at the Austin Hospital to report to the supervisor, Ray Colley, "ready and willing to perform your full range of duties". Colley also signed the form on behalf of management. Prior to becoming a hatchet man for the bosses, he was a long-time union bureaucrat and once secretary of the Hospital Employees Federation, an ALP left union. A stop-work meeting held in response to management's offensive resolved to continue the bans. Workers will work as directed when management is around, and continue their bans and a go-slow when management is not. This cat-and-mouse action may go on for some time, although if management responds with stand-downs or sackings, the strike action will escalate.
Hospital workers fight for jobs
Issue
If you like our work, become a supporter
Green Left is a vital social-change project and aims to make all content available online, without paywalls. With no corporate sponsors or advertising, we rely on support and donations from readers like you.
For just $5 per month get the Green Left digital edition in your inbox each week. For $10 per month get the above and the print edition delivered to your door. You can also add a donation to your support by choosing the solidarity option of $20 per month.
Freecall now on 1800 634 206 or follow the support link below to make a secure supporter payment or donation online.