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Winter 2004

OWED

Healthscope North West Private Hospital Pays thousands to HACSU Members

In addition to winning a number of important wage increases via EBAs, HACSU members have also recently had some spectacular successes in winning back pay for individual or groups of members.

Last edition there was tens of thousands of dollars in back pay won for home carers. This edition, we have several more cases.

It has been established that a number of HACSU members employed at the North West Private Hospital have been underpaid in accordance with their contractual arrangements.

Following lengthy negotiations, management conceded that there had been a breach of award provisions.

In this case employees were short-changed by half an hour on their rostered shift payments.

Management has agreed to back pay affected members to their anniversary dates, which adds up to thousands of dollars.

It would also appear that a number of other employees may have a similar claim, a matter which is currently under investigation.

LONG SERVICE PAYMENTS DENIED, NOW PAID

In another case, a member was involved in a very difficult situation at a workplace in a disability services facility. It became untenable for her to stay on.

The member was forced into leaving and wanted to claim her pro-rata long service leave.

The employer refused and the member contacted the HACSU Members Helpline for advice.

Armed and empowered with this advice the member pursued the matter herself and the employer in the end had to concede this payment was legally owed.

A message was left on the HACSU answering machine saying "Thank you, thank you. Time to break out the champers. I had almost lost all hope of getting it. Thank you so much for your help and advice, without which I may have let the matter go."

Pop that cork.

WORKERS' COMP UNDERPAYMENTS FIXED UP

Another HACSU member, Jane Byrne, approached HACSU via the HACSU Helpline, seeking information about how her workers' compensation payments should be calculated.

She suspected she might have been underpaid. After some research, it was discovered that her payments were in fact calculated in a way that reduced her normal weekly earnings, and therefore her workers' compensation payments, by about 15%.

Following advice from the HACSU Helpline, the member made representations to her employer.

After being fobbed off several times by middle management, the HACSU member went up the management tree, finally getting an acknowledgement that she was indeed owed.

Jane was very happy to receive a nice payment for all she was entitled to.

"I'd never had an injury in my life," Jane said. "And it's not easy. The compo issues are a bit scary. It's a battle."

"I thought something was wrong. $600 a fortnight wasn't much. The pay I was receiving went in very quick and I didn't have a say. I left it for several months and thought it wasn't right."

"When I queried it they said it was good and right.

But I just thought it wasn't, so I just rang HACSU."

"HACSU gave me the information and I had to fight for my rights. You are just a number. The insurance companies are buggars."

"As soon as HACSU was mentioned, there was a cheque in the mail the next day."

"It is very important for people to become members.

I can't say that enough. If you are not a member, you have rocks in your head."