Victorian healthcare workers are in a dispute with the Victorian Government over pay and workloads.
Currently, workers are implementing revenue bans. That is, refusing to do administrative tasks that generate revenue for health services, like processing private health insurance claims and submitting Medicare reimbursements for hospitals.
Industrial action might escalate in January, if the Victorian Government has not yet offered workers a fair pay deal.
Statement attributable to HWU Lead Organiser Jake McGuinness:
The HWU wants more direct engagement with the Minister so that further industrial action — and further patient inconvenience — can be avoided.
Only the Health Minister and the Premier have the power to end this dispute by offering a fair, liveable pay deal.
If the dispute is not resolved, we will escalate work bans in January.
This escalation — which the HWU is eager to avoid — would include pausing Category 2 and 3 surgeries and closing 1 in 4 public hospital beds across Victoria, by staff refusing to clean them when patients depart.
There would also be a ban on cleaning non-clinical areas such as offices, corridors and public spaces.
These bans would cause significant disruption to hospitals and health services.
They will only be necessary if the government refuses to negotiate a fair deal for healthcare workers.
The clock is ticking for the government to give essential healthcare workers a liveable wage — so that Victoria can avoid an escalation of its healthcare crisis.
Media contact: Ryan Sheales, 0402 351 412