RELEASED 2 AUGUST 2024
Western Australia’s critical public health workforce is standing up for higher wages and better conditions, presenting a petition to the Acting Premier last week with 2221 signatures from HSUWA members working in public health services across Western Australia.
The petition calls on the Premier to immediately intervene in the wages process after the Department of Health has time and time again shown its complete disinterest in delivering positive change for the WA health system and public healthcare workers.
The 2221 member signatories include pharmacists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, ICT professionals, medical imaging technologists, cancer centre staff, anaesthetic technicians, security officers, ward clerks, social workers and more.
HSUWA members are the glue that holds our state’s health system together and collectively make up the largest workforce in public health in WA.
The State Government must urgently stop the pattern of expensive band aid fixes and invest now in the public health workforce that will deliver dividends for WA health’s future and sustainability.
HSUWA Members submitted a concise list of well-considered and reasonable claims over eight months ago.
Members have consistently acted in good faith yet eight months later they are still waiting for a decent offer that delivers on fair pay, better and safer working conditions, and rewarding careers.
Public healthcare workers are fighting for simple, sensible and well overdue workforce reforms critical to the retention and attraction of experienced health professionals and the long-term sustainability of our health system.
The WA health system is facing the challenges of a growing and ageing population, yet the Government is failing to invest in the workforce with the skills and capabilities to meet these challenges.
The State Government has the power and the strong balance sheet to deliver a fair offer to the workforce that can ensure quality public health services.
2221 HSUWA Members are calling on the Premier to step in now to present an offer that invests in the public health workforce and provides the recognition and respect these critical workers deserve.
Comments attributed to Naomi McCrae, HSUWA Secretary:
“The Premier has this week called on unions to continue working with the Government in good faith – yet after eight months of negotiating with Health in good faith, public healthcare workers are still waiting for a decent offer and have been left feeling undervalued and disrespected.
“Our members are tired of hearing the Government repeatedly state how essential public health workers are to WA – while simultaneously refusing to deliver an offer that keeps up with cost of living and provides the career pathways and workforce reforms necessary to retain staff.
“The Government needs to do more than just talk about the value of public health workers. This talk doesn’t help our members keep up with the cost of living or attract and retain workers.
“The Premier and State Government must act now and deliver an offer that invests in the public health workforce and provides them with the recognition they deserve.
“We can’t deliver world class healthcare without an investment in our world class health workforce.”
