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Summer 2003

General

A Big thank you
Dear HACSU, Greetings from the far north of WA, where I am spending 12 months working in a remote clinic at Kalumburu - just me, another RN and an Aboriginal Health Worker.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Bulk Billing rates plunge again - Howard Government's attack on Medicare
Until the Howard Government came to power, Australians enjoyed one of the best health care systems in the world. In fact we still do, although there has been steady erosion under Howard of the effectiveness of Medicare and we are now seeing some more direct attacks on the system.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Costello's Plan will not Stop Executive Salary Outrages
The Federal Government’s new corporate governance reforms will not stop skyrocketing executive salaries, the ACTU believes.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Employers fined after being reported by HACSU
Employers, Anthony Kingston and Jean Kingston, have pleaded guilty and been fined over $5,000 under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act for failing to maintain an insurance policy after being reported by HACSU.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Forrest case sets precedent for fixed term employees
The case of Dr. Quentin Forrest, a senior medico from the LGH, who did not have his contract renewed by the hospital, has attracted a lot of debate in the media recently.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

HACSU Delegates Call for a Fairer Australia
The annual HACSU Delegates Conference was held on Friday 7th November, with a focus on the theme “Towards a Just and Fair Society”.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

HACSU Worksite Committees holding Tasmania's Regional Services Together
As Tasmanian nursing homes and other health and disability care facilities lurch from one crisis to another due to chronic funding shortfalls, HACSU worksite committees have now become the glue that binds these vital regional services together.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Life Membership for Mike
Former State Secretary, Mike Hall was honoured with life membership at the Delegates Conference. Mike occupies a unique place in HACSU’s history.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Medicare Plus Package a Fraud - Medicareplus - A minus for working families
The Federal Government’s watereddown Medicare changes announced in the Medicare Plus package will do nothing for working families according to the ACTU.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Member - Angela Sheehan Stands Up
HACSU officials have intervened on behalf of former contract worker Angela Sheehan after she refused to accept a restructure within the Cardiology/ Neurology Unit of the LGH, which left her out of work.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Members Equity
Members Equity has been delivering it's range of products to HACSU membersacross Tasmania for a number of years.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Nurses may be Banned from taking Industrial Action
In a move that has sent shock waves across the Australian workforce, all Australian nurses may be banned from taking any industrial action in new laws now before Federal Parliament.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Positive return for HESTA
HESTA, the specialist in super for health and community services, has declared a +1.5% return on its balanced Core Pool option for 2002- 2003, capping off fifteen years of positive annual returns for the investment option where the majority of members have their super.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Tas Meatworkers WIN over rogue Employer
Tasmanian meatworkers have won an historic victory over a rogue employer who tried to use new Federal Government laws to shift full time employees to “independent contractors” or casual trainees, whose services could be terminated at any time.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Taxing Question - Jingle in your hip pocket today may become a clanger tomorrow
Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello’s recent announcement that the Government had accumulated a massive surplus of $7.5 billion triggered a debate about how the money should be used.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

White Anted
Medicare is being white anted, and HACSU members and other Australians are rallying to protect the great Australian institution.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Nursing

Aged Care Nurses set to Bargain
HACSU nurse members working in aged care are gearing up for the next round of enterprise bargaining. A State-wide survey of nurse members working in this sector has been undertaken, and HACSU officials have met with employer representatives, the TCCI, to discuss the process for dealing with negotiations.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Clarence and Risdon Vale Community Health Centre trial
Members at Clarence Community Health Centre were recently presented with a proposal to reduce the operating hours of the medical practice, which also included a reduction in the number of nursing staff.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

From HACSU Nurses Sub Branch President
Looking back over the last 12 months, the Sub Branch has dealt with a huge variety of issues. Examples of ongoing issues include the proposed restructure of community nursing, ongoing delays with private hospitals regarding allowances, and the nursing hours per patient day project.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Get involved in a process that will control nurses workloads
The Nursing Hours Per Patient Day (NHPPD) is an historic process that provides a benchmark for staff to patient ratios.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Hobart Day Surgery Nurse EBA underway
Several months ago a small group of members at Hobart Day Surgery met to start the process of the next wages agreement for this worksite.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

NHPPD Guidelines released

08 December 2003 [Full Story]

No rest for Debbie Ferguson
“I’ve always wanted to become an EN,” Debbie said. Debbie Ferguson is one of those rare people everyone likes. You can’t find anyone who has a bad word to say about her. “A real trooper who gives and gives, and the place will fall apart without her,” Debbie’s workmates say - something the Maranatha management should give some thought too as she leaves.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Protecting Nurses in Aged Care
HACSU has developed a clear strategy designed to protect nurses working in aged care.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Quality time with the kids
HACSU Holiday Homes Rates (effective September 1, 2003) on the Union’s holiday homes, which are for the exclusive use of members.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Review of the Tasmanian Palliative Care Service
Palliative services across Tasmania are being reviewed. Professor Kathy Edgar, Director, Centre for Health Service Development (CHSD) University of Wollongong in NSW has been contracted by the Department of Health and Human Services to undertake the review.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

What is the Role of the Principal Nursing Advisor?
The Office of the Principal Nurse Advisor is the primary source of nursing advice to the Department of Health and Human Services and the State Government.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Private

Classification dispute at CSD Hobart Private
The management of the Central Sterilizing Department at the Hobart Private take the prize in this edition of Inform for “make it up as you go along management”.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Corumbene campaign continues
The determined 5-month campaign by members working for the Corumbene Nursing Home in New Norfolk is continuing, with ongoing negotiations between management and HACSU delegates and officials.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Eliza Purton staff stand up for rights as home attempts to cut staff
The troubled aged care facility Eliza Purton Nursing Home, currently the subject of Commonwealth sanctions, has again seen conflict between staff and management following another proposed restructure.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

HACSU members claim unpaid meal break entitlements
HACSU organizers are working on a case involving members from the North West Private Hospital who have not been paid meal break entitlements.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Maranatha Changes Hands
The Maranatha Nursing Home, a 53 bed facility in Launceston, has been sold to the Launceston Presbyterian Homes for the Aged, with another Maranatha home in the South also on the market.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Pressure’s on at Glenview
In a situation typical of the aged care industry, the squeeze is being put on workers at the Glenview Nursing Home.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Regional Imaging and Meercroft members set up worksite committees

08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Will the aged care industry be next for INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS?
In the process of enterprise bargaining, the Federal Government is currently trying to force individual contracts on a whole sector of the Australian economy; the higher education sector.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Public

Public Sector Wage campaign - Government Offer - It's an INSULT
The State Government has finally made a wages and conditions offer to Public Sector members, and it has been universally described as “an insult” by members.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

10% Plus
Negotiations have now been finalised between HACSU members and Healthscope management, delivering a 10% wage increase plus other benefits to members.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Allied Health Professionals Workforce Status Report
The Department of Health and Human Services released the long awaited Allied Health Professionals Workforce Status Report last week.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Child and Family Services workers get protection at last
HACSU members working for Child and Family Services will finally have some stability and security in their working lives, following the finalisation of an enterprise agreement.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

It's Up to Us
TASMANIAN PUBLIC sector workers have an enormous responsibility in this round of enterprise bargaining.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Member Caroline Knipe takes the Prize
Radiation therapist, Caroline Knipe, has won the Athena Foniadakis Scholarship for professional development.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Members campaign for conditions and better service to public at Clarence
HACSU members at the Clarence Medical Practise have been campaigning to stop reduced staffing, reduced hours and deceased services.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Oral Health staff needs still not met
The ongoing saga of the appointment of dental assistants to positions following an agreement between HACSU members working in oral health and the Department is continuing.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Radiation Therapists Desperate
ONE OF THE MOST desperate areas within Tasmania’s health professional crisis is in radiotherapy, clearly a vital service for Tasmanians.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Review of the Tasmanian Palliative Care Service
Professor Kathy Edgar, Director, Centre for Health Service Development (CHSD) University of Wollongong, NSW has been contracted by the Department of Health and Human Services to undertake a review of the Palliative Care Service.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Southern Disability Services dispute negotiations continue
HACSU members are continuing discussions with management over the implementation of recommendations from the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) following a dispute at Southern Residential Services.
08 December 2003 [Full Story]

Tassie's Health Professional Crisis at a Glance

08 December 2003 [Full Story]