RELEASED Wednesday 21 August 2024
HSUWA members have walked out and joined other public sector workers to Stand Up! for higher wages, better conditions and sustainable career priorities at the Perth Cultural Centre today.
The message from HSUWA members is clear – the State Government needs to stop its current approach of expensive, short sighted and short-term thinking and instead engage with the public health workforce in a fair and respectful way.
HSUWA members are the glue that holds the state’s health system together. Representing the Allied Health, technical, and administrative health workforce, they make up the largest workforce in WA’s public health system.
HSUWA members are continuing to fight for simple, sensible and well overdue workforce reforms after eight months of fruitless negotiations with the Department of Health.
Health submitted a second offer yesterday afternoon featuring limited improvements they know will not satisfy HSUWA members and will only further delay these already prolonged negotiations.
Two years ago, the Former Premier told WA public servants wages would keep up with CPI. This has not occurred.
Last month, HSUWA presented a petition signed by over 2200 members calling on the Premier to urgently invest in the public health workforce. No response has been received.
The public health workforce is now worse off after six years of this Government and seven significant consecutive budget surpluses.
The Government must invest now in the public health workforce and provide a fair offer. An investment now will deliver dividends for WA health’s future and sustainability.
An investment now provides the recognition and respect that the public health workforce deserves.
Comments attributed to Naomi McCrae, HSUWA Secretary:
“Health submitted a second offer to us yesterday as a last-ditch attempt to stop this rally from going ahead.
“These are the exact delay tactics HSUWA members have come to expect from Government. Our members are not interested in band aid solutions or a sub-standard offer – they want thoughtful engagement with Government on how to support and retain public health workers.
“The lack of genuine engagement in the offer process by Health over the past eight months has left public healthcare workers feeling undervalued and disrespected, and calls for the Premier to intervene have gone unanswered.
“This is about more than just pay and keeping up with the cost of living for our members – it is about meaningful engagement by Health and this Government with the conditions vital to retaining skilled public health workers.
“Our members have already, in good faith, distilled their claim down to a concise list of reasonable conditions essential to attracting and retaining experienced health professionals needed for a sustainable public health system.
“We will continue to fight until the State Government is ready to engage with our claim in a meaningful and respectful way.
“It is time the State Government makes public health workers a priority.”
