WORKERS’ POWER BUILDS AT HEALTHSCOPE

Hospital staff and health professionals at Healthscope Private Hospital in nipaluna/ Hobart have been taking united industrial action throughout their enterprise bargaining negotiations with the penny-pinching, foreign-owned conglomerate.

It’s the second time in 18 months that Healthscope workers have taken industrial action, with nurses walking off the job over similar poor pay and conditions during bargaining in 2021. As it stands, the agreement for non-nursing staff is currently 23 months overdue. The private health provider is notorious for its miserly wage offers in bargaining and stalling tactics – even though it made a reported 236-million-dollar profit in 2019 alone.

A concerned family member of a Healthscope worker told HACSU that they’re worried about Healthscope’s deceptive bargaining tactics:

“Hobart Private since new management has taken over have not cared for their staff at all. Promising things like paid violence leave is a must for all businesses regardless because it’s mandated by the government – but Healthscope like to sell it as ‘we are offering’. No, you are not! They have no option but to give it to all staff.”

Their tactics may be deceptive, but they’re not fooling anyone. The public know as well as Healthscope staff that workers, and their patients, deserve better.

Aside from their insulting wage offers and “additional” conditions – which are really just barely meeting legal obligations – workers have also dealt with growing concerns about equipment safety and maintenance. In early December vital equipment in Hobart’s largest private hospital was deemed unsafe, with worker William Sharman speaking out to media about Healthscope’s alleged neglect to fix maintenance issues like a leaking roof, outdated wheelchairs, and broken chairs, amongst other problems.

It’s sadly unsurprising for a company that puts its shareholders and corporate profit over its paying patient’s care. HACSU’s Tim Jacobson said that Healthscope’s behaviour was obviously “telling when it comes to where profit sits versus patients.” But Healthscope hospital staff and health professionals are staunchly standing up to make management’s dirty tactics and misaligned priorities a thing of the past.

Workers have been bravely sticking up for each other against divisive upper management by taking part in industrial action. This includes bans on billing patients, catering for management, handling laundry, wearing uniforms, performing overtime, completing theatre set-ups, and vacuuming foyer areas and management’s offices.

Their protests ramped up to a stop-work walk out, where workers and supportive community members rallied outside the Hobart Private Hospital for a fair wage offer and improved conditions that will support higher levels of patient care.

It’s time that Healthscope decided to put patient care over corporate profit, and if they don’t, workers will be forced to continue their actions until they listen. They’ve done it before and they can certainly do it again.

Every year, we celebrate Disability Workers Week to give some love back to everyone who works in disability support.

It’s work that deserves celebration. It’s work you do because you love it and because you care.

And while you support them, HACSU is here to support and champion you and your rights.

We know we’ll never have an NDIS that supports people with disabilities properly if workers aren’t given the support you need to do the job –like fair wages, secure work, proper training, and the guarantee of safety at work.

We’re fighting for you every day to make sure your work is recognised and valued as it should be. Support disability, support workers.