Public health body Eastern Health is being called on to immediately ditch plans to force hundreds of workers into the employment of a private for-profit labour hire firm.
Eastern Health operates several public healthcare facilities across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, including the Box Hill and Maroondah hospitals, as well as smaller facilities in Blackburn, Lilydale, Healesville, Wantirna and East Burwood.
It’s trying to force more than 300 essential support staff — including low-paid orderlies, cleaners, and food service staff — out of its employment and ship their jobs over to a for-profit multinational labour hire firm, ISS.
Should the privatisation plan go ahead, workers will lose hard won employment conditions, and face an uncertain future.
Eastern Health has taken this decision without proper consultation. Legal advice received by the HWU indicated this move is potentially unlawful.
The Health Workers Union’s Lead Organiser, Jake McGuinness, said Eastern Health should not be attempting to privatise its support workforce.
“This is a blatant attempt to turn patient-focused healthcare workers into profit-driven labour-hire contractors,” he said.
“Without warning or any valid reasons, Eastern Health is seeking to privatise and outsource this workforce. This is QANTAS all over again—and we won’t let it happen.”
“This is QANTAS all over again—and we won’t let it happen.”
Health Workers Union Jake McGuinness
Mr McGuinness said Eastern Health made the privatisation decision in the middle of active and ongoing negotiations about employee pay and conditions.
“Eastern Health should be working collaboratively with its workforce, not undermining them. It should be showing respect to essential healthcare workers, not shoving them out the side door.”
“This is a cynical attempt to sidestep fair negotiations and erode hard-won conditions.”
“Eastern Health wouldn’t dare do this to nurses.”
The Health Workers Union is calling on the Victorian Government to intervene and block the outsourcing.
“There’s still time for Jacinta Allan to reign in Eastern Health and stop this privatisation plan.”
Eastern Health has told workers they will need to have “one-on-one discussions” with ISS so the multinational firm can “understand their current roster [and] preferences.”
Workers fear that while they may start with the same entitlements and rights they have as employees of Eastern Health, these will slowly be eroded once the deal is done and they are no longer public employees.
“All of this is happening on Premier Jacinta Allan’s watch,” Mr McGuinness said.
“The Victorian Government can’t stand by while Eastern Health ‘does a Qantas’ on healthcare support workers.
“There’s still time for Jacinta Allan to reign in Eastern Health and stop this sneaky privatisation plan.”
Health Workers Union Jake McGuinness