Health Professionals at Crossroads

Health Professionals have their future careers and the future of Tasmanian Services in their hands.

Tasmanian health professionals have embarked on one of the most comprehensive overhauls of their pay, conditions and career structures in 15 years.

The stakes are high, with the outcome of the process likely to determine the ability of Tasmania to retain and recruit staff, and significantly, in some areas whether this will secure the delivery of services in Tasmania into the future.

The crucial part of this review is the new classification structure, which aims to modernise award classifications to reflect the workplace today, and to bring pay and conditions into line with health professionals in the benchmark state of Victoria.

HACSU officials are now in the process of consulting with all health professional groups across Tasmania to develop and finalise a draft claim to be put to the State Government.

Aside from the new classification structures, the claim includes;

increases to allowances,

improvements to provisions of the higher duties allowance and a preceptor supervision allowance,

post-graduate qualification allowances ranging from 4% to 7.5% of salary,

recruitment and retention bonuses,

adequate staffing provisions,

proper professional development and training.

HACSU Assistant State Secretary, Tim Jacobson, said he was very pleased with the response to the consultation process.

"This is a "big-scope" project and in many ways quite technical when you come down to looking at classifications for the various levels of the various professions."

"However, we have been encouraged by the way members have embraced it, getting involved with the technical side of developing the classifications and the new career ladders."

"Members have been getting on board, doing a lot of the research and consulting with their colleagues."

"It hasn't been easy getting their heads around the technical/industrial side of things but members are coming through well."

"They understand that this is their chance to create a thoroughly modern career path and to see some substantial improvements in terms of wages and conditions."

"The ultimate aim is to make sure members' classifications and pay reflect the work they are doing, and that we can have a structure that will retain people and services on the Island."

Updates on this important process will follow.

Contact Details

Hobart Office
Phone:	03 6231 2253
FAX:	03 6231 4142
Email:	admin@hacsutas.net.au

Launceston Office
Phone:	03 6331 2237
FAX:	03 6331 4309
Email:	admin@hacsutas.net.au

Devonport Office
Phone:	03 6424 6885
FAX:	03 6424 6808
Email:	admin@hacsutas.net.au

Summer 2004 Contents


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