Canberra Hospital’s Medical Imaging union members will place a 48-hour ban on overtime from midnight tonight. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members who work in Canberra Health Services’ Medical Imaging Department will extend their overtime bans after they failed to reach an agreement on pay and work conditions.
Union members will action a 48-hour overtime ban from midnight tonight (Thursday) until midnight Saturday, after a similar ban on 10 to 12 October.
According to the union, negotiations over improved pay and conditions have been underway for nearly 18 months, but imaging staff continue to leave the Canberra Health Services (CHS) system to work in more lucrative roles in other jurisdictions.
CPSU national president Brooke Muscat said the ACT Government and CHS needed to act fast.
“There are serious shortages of Allied Health professionals across the service, which if left unaddressed, will lead to more delays, unsafe work practices and services dropping below the standards expected by the Canberra community,” she said.
“CPSU members don’t want to take industrial action, but when the Government gives staff nothing but radio silence, it’s difficult for members to do anything else.
“Chief Minister Andrew Barr needs to step in – for our Allied Health workers and for the Canberrans who rely on them.
“Our members have three simple asks: a commitment to talking about safe staffing levels during the life of the agreement; additional time off after working excessive shift work and overtime; and pay scales that allow for decent career progression.
“Our Allied Health professionals are telling Canberra Health Services and the ACT Government what they need to stay local and deliver safe services here in Canberra. But in failing to listen, the Government is telling them to go.”
Region contacted CHS for a statement but it was unable to respond by our deadline.
Original Article published by Andrew McLaughlin on Riotact.
