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Autumn 2005

THAT'S IT! WE'VE HAD IT!

After being the victim to some scandalously superficial, and often quite wrong, media coverage, disability services workers finally said "Enough is Enough".

TASMANIAN disability services employees strike.

Ignored by Government for months, ridden roughshod over by management fiefdoms within the department, disability services staff pulled the pin, demanding improvements to a range of issues confronting them.

For months staff sent out a clear message to Government that they ere serious, implementing industrial action against overwork by not taking on any new cases and not working overtime. Disability workers thought they had made it clear that they wanted their issues addressed.

Then, when they were still ignored, on Friday 11 of March 2005, members across the state took strike action. Members are concerned about the state of disability services in two areas; the failure of Government to recognize and deal with the work overload experienced by members, and secondly, the fact that around a thousand Tasmanians with disabilities are currently unable to get the service they need from the sector because the human and physical resources are not there.

In the north of Tasmania workers from The John L Grove Centre took strike action during which, as a symbolic gesture, they placed a name card in a nearby park to represent every one of those Tasmanians with a disability who are not getting their needs met because of the Governments in action.

There are a number of workplaces around Tasmania now on the brink of taking a range of industrial actions. Although the Government appear to recognise this serious situation they are currently unprepared to do anything about it until the next budget cycle.

Unfortunately, people in need do not operate on budget cycles and it is not ok to expect members to continue to cop it sweet while government do nothing but offer platitudes.

Members will continue action if demands are not met.