Healthcare workers will appear in the Fair Work Commission in Melbourne today seeking to force Eastern Health to release the secret modelling behind the planned privatisation of its workforce.
Eastern Health is preparing to push its entire healthcare support workforce into the employment of a multinational labour-hire firm.
The move would affect more than 300 workers performing critical tasks like patient transport, hygiene and catering at the Box Hill Hospital and several satellite sites.
Eastern Health claims the move will save money without any reductions to worker security or patient outcomes, but has refused to release the full modelling and advice behind its plan.
“What has Eastern Health got to hide?” lawyers for the Health Workers Union will ask the hearing.
HWU Lead Organiser Jake McGuinness said Eastern Health’s secrecy is causing alarm.
“If Eastern Health saves one cent from this privatisation plan it will be because public healthcare workers are paying the price.”
The HWU has made direct attempts to access both the secret modelling compiled for Eastern Health by an external consultant and an internal report produced by Eastern Health assessing the organisation’s options.
Eastern Health would only release a heavily redacted copy of the consultant’s report and has refused outright to divulge its internal assessments.
“We’re concerned Eastern Health is keeping this modelling secret because it reveals the truth: that privatisation will strip workers of hard-fought entitlements and job security,” Mr McGuinness said.
Media contact: Ryan Sheales, 0402 351 412