Thousands of striking health workers have rallied outside the new Footscray Hospital on its opening day on Wednesday, despite a personal intervention from the premier leading to a breakthrough in wage negotiations.
On Tuesday 17 February Victoria’s Health Workers Union (HWU) called a statewide strike after more than a year of unsuccessful enterprise bargaining talks with the state government.
More than 10,000 health workers including cooks, cleaners, orderlies, security guards, ward clerks, allied health assistants, theatre technicians and phlebotomists walked off the job after being offered an increase of about 3.3 per cent a year over three years by the government, well below their demand of 12 per cent over two years.
With a mass rally planned outside the new Footscray Hospital to coincide with its grand opening on 18 February, the union said a personal intervention by the Premier Jacinta Allan led to a breakthrough in negotiations overnight.
“The premier’s intervention has delivered a much-needed investment in low-paid healthcare workers and recognition of the essential role they play across Victoria’s health system,” HWU’s lead organiser Jake McGuinness said.
The government’s revised offer is for wage increases of 12 per cent over two and a half years, but while the HWU said they would recommend the deal to its members, the industrial action still went ahead.
“This dispute isn’t over until we’ve signed on the dotted line,” Mr McGuinness said.
“But we’re closer to a deal now that we’ve been in over a year.”
Speaking at the opening of the new hospital, Ms Allan didn’t deny intervening in the dispute, but said the government had negotiated in good faith and wage agreements take time.
“I’m really pleased today that we’ve reached an in-principle agreement because we always back our health care workers,” Ms Allan said.
On Wednesday morning, health care workers from across the state clad in pink HWU shirts gathered in Footscray Park across the road from the new hospital, before marching up Ballarat Road to the entrance and then into its village green area for celebratory lunchtime rally.
