More than 30 Health Workers Union members from Northeast Health Wangaratta (NHW) stopped work for an hour on Tuesday, while others travelled to Melbourne and joined thousands protesting outside the Victorian Parliament in their ongoing campaign for better pay and conditions. This week's strike escalated the work bans union members have had in place since last week under protected industrial action that is scheduled to continue until 1 February, unless there is a breakthrough in negotiations for a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA). Speaking outside NHW, surrounded by colleagues all wearing pink campaign t-shirts pushing their cause, HWU delegate and NHW workplace trainer Colette McNeill said members want a 12 per cent wage increase over the two years of a new EBA, with urgent action to address unsustainable workloads and chronic staff shortages. "We've been offered 3.5 per cent a year which is below the inflation rate of 3.8 per cent," she said. "Our members work hard and haven't wanted to take industrial action, but the Minister just isn't listening and hasn't been engaging with the union to help negotiate a fair and livable pay rise. "A hospital is more than doctors and nurses...it takes a whole team to keep it functioning, including our health care workers in roles of administration, ward clerks, receptionists, dental, theatre and sterilisation technicians, cleaners, orderlies, porters, food service staff, cooks, chefs, security guards and personal car attendants." Ms McNeill said the protected industrial action isn't hurting patients, as rooms are still being cleaned and food served, and clinical wards are not impacted - but public areas and executive areas are not being cleaned. She confirmed however, that by Friday this week as many as 50 scheduled elective surgeries at NHW would have either been cancelled or postponed. “Theatre technicians will only prepare instruments for Category 1 emergencies, except in Category 2 and 3 the emptions will include pediatrics, palliative care, oncology, and obstetrics," Ms McNeill said. In a statement to the Wangaratta Chronicle the Victorian Hospitals’ Industrial Association (VHIA) said it remains committed to concluding negotiations for a new enterprise agreement "as soon as possible" and continues to meet with the union to achieve this. "To this end, the VHIA has sought the assistance of the Fair Work Commission in relation to bargaining and the ongoing protected industrial action being undertaken by the HWU," the statement read.
