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Summer 2004

General

ACTU seeks $26.60 Minimum Wage Rise
The ACTU has announced it will seek a $26.60 a week wage rise for around 1.6 million award workers in the annual Minimum Wages Case.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Aged care Nurses set for 23% Increase
Aged care nurses look set to accept a new enterprise agreement, which will go a long way towards gaining parity with nurses working in other fields.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Ainslie Nursing Home hours go Up
The Ainslie Nursing Home in the Northern Region is much like any other nursing home; everyone’s going pretty much flat out all day.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Ambos get new Sub Branch Executive
The HACSU Ambulance Employees Sub Branch has elected a new Executive.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Another push to increase Sleepover Payments in Disability Services
Following an initiative from three facilities in the North West Region for an increase to sleepover payments in disability services, a new statewide offer has been put on the table by employers.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Appointment of North-West Organiser, Mark Fagan
HACSU is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Fagan to the position of Industrial Organiser for the North West Region. Mark fills the position left vacant by Shane Littler.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Back pay for Queenstown Hospital Members
Members at the Queenstown Hospital (West Coast District Hospital) recently received several thousand dollars worth of back pay following the discovery that they had been incorrectly classified after being transferred from awards in 1993.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Calvary Members Vote on New EBA
General Staff employed at Calvary Healthcare Tasmania are voting on a new enterprise agreement as Inform goes to press. The agreement contains many benefits for members, with no trade-offs.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Casual and insecure jobs Taking Over
New ACTU research shows around one in three women are now employed casually and have no access to paid sick leave or annual holidays or even paid leave on a public holiday.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Devonfield improve the Value of their Pay Packets
Devonfield members have wanted for some time to be able to access salary packaging.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Devonport Housing members call on Premier to intervene
HACSU members working in housing have called on the Premier, Paul Lennon, to intervene on the re-organisation of services in the North West of the State that would see relocation of all maintenance services to Burnie.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Domestic violence workers in doubt
Members within the Domestic Violence Crisis Service continue to be concerned about their future.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Draft Patient Transport Review Report to go to Members
The draft report of the Patient Transport Service, operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, is all but complete and ready to be put to members.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Eliza Purton and OneCare to become one
Eliza Purton Nursing Home, one of the largest employers on the North West Coast, is being taken over by OneCare Ltd, subject to a satisfactory due diligence process and all issues being investigated on the feasibility of such transfer.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

HACSU Members win Real Gains in Mental Health
Following a sustained lobbying campaign by HACSU members and increasing evidence that our mental health services are under-funded and poorly resourced, the Tasmanian Government has announced a range of measures to address some core problems, including a significant injection of funds, new supported accommodation and community clinical team initiatives and extra staffing.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Health Professionals Beware
HACSU officers recently received information from an employer advising staff of new Australian Institute of Radiography (AIR) requirements for compulsory Continual Professional Development (CPD).
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Health Professionals at Crossroads
Health Professionals have their future careers and the future of Tasmanian Services in their hands.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Healthscope Nurse EBA Finalised
The enterprise agreement for nurses employed at the Hobart Private and St Helens Private Hospitals has been completed.
10 December 2004 [Full Story]

Home Helpers win paid travelling time
Home Help workers on King Island have won their fight to travel between clients in paid time. Members originally queried the fact that they were being required to travel between clients in their own time. Members raised this issue with management but to no avail.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Introducing Sharon Doherty
Sharon Doherty has been employed as the new HACSU Nurse Organiser in the Southern Region. Sharon comes to HACSU with excellent nursing credentials and a lot of experience organizing at the workplace level.
10 December 2004 [Full Story]

LGH Laundry and Kitchen getting Organised
the LGH Laundry and Kitchen Members are looking to get more active.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Linda stands up for her rights
HACSU member, Linda Mason, recently received thousands of dollars in back pay after being shortchanged whilst on workers’ compensation.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Mersey Members Campaign Bears Fruit
Mersey members over recent times have campaigned in their community over the need to maintain services.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

North West Regional Hospital members win better Security
After months of campaigning North West Regional Hospital HACSU members have won the battle to increase hospital security.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

North West respite services threaten action after Violent Incidents
HACSU members working for Respite Services in the North West have had to threaten to withdraw services unless changes were made to protect staff safety.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

President's Report - Nurses Sub-Branch 2004
This year has again been a busy year for members and staff, with a number of changes. As members would be aware, we have several new industrial officers and a beautiful new office in Launceston.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Psychiatry on brink of Industrial Action at LGH over Security
HACSU members working in the Psychiatry Department at the LGH are poised to take industrial action after protracted negotiations with management failed to force management to undertake their responsibilities to provide a safe working environment.
10 December 2004 [Full Story]

Red Cross Blood Service required to employ Permanents
HACSU officials were recently called in to sort out a messy situation following an announcement by the Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) they would be closing down their Hobart operations, with up to 10 possible job losses.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Round and Round we Go
Laundry services at Strathglen are a bit like the dryers. They just go round and round.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Safe Workplaces don't include Violence, Bullying or Harrassment
The Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 outlaws discrimination on any of the following attributes or identities: Age, breastfeeding, disability, family responsibilities, gender/sex, industrial activity, irrelevant criminal record, irrelevant medical record, lawful sexual activity, marital status, parental status, political activity, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy, race, religious activity, religious belief or affiliation, sexual orientation.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Sayonara Shane
Shane Littler has left HACSU after many years of service to HACSU members.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

States and Territories Working Together on National Hardie Product Ban
All Premiers and Chief Ministers today stated their full support for the ACTU Secretary, Greg Combet, to lead negotiations with James Hardie.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Substantial back pay claim - "It will pay for my daughter's 21st"
HACSU members from Regional Imaging rang the HACSU office some time ago, enquiring about public holiday rates. A general discussion ensued, leading to a query about payments for other matters, and in the end, a substantial back pay claim.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Supportive Housing staff stand up for safe workplace
HACSU members working for Supportive Housing Inc recently took a stand to sort out what had become an intolerable situation of a family who were “bailing up” staff about care issues and making allegations but not prepared to put it in writing.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

The People have Spoken by Chris Brown, HACSU State Secretary
The Australian people have spoken, and although a significant majority (54%) of Tasmanians voted against John Howard’s Government, that’s what we must now work with.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

The future of Tasmanian Ambulance Services
Ambulance services are increasingly under pressure.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Union Members in the Firing Line
I know everyone is so “over” politics after such a long election campaign, with our letterboxes stuffed with propaganda everyday and the TV running nonstop shock and fear adverts. But the result of the election is something we can’t ignore.
10 December 2004 [Full Story]

Union movement sounds alarm over unfair dismisal laws and bullying
The union movement, along with many church and human rights groups, is appealing to the Howard Government to reconsider the abolition of the unfair dismissal laws, believing this would be a catalyst for further increasing bullying and harassment in the workplace.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Women pay the biggest price of workforce casualisation
For too many Australian women, casual employment is the price they are made to pay for working part time.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]

Workload Spiral still the big concern in Nursing Homes
The spiraling workload remains the big concern of most HACSU members working in nursing homes, with visits to aged care facilities confirming this.
09 December 2004 [Full Story]