Released Friday 6 September 2024
Health Services Union of Western Australia members who work at Australian Clinical Labs, including Phlebotomists, Scientists, Laboratory Technicians and Assistants, Couriers and Administrative staff, will walk off the job for four hours on Thursday 12 September 2024.
Union members are fed up with the company’s disrespect to its own workforce. After months and months of negotiations, despite existing low pay and rising cost of living pressures for staff, the company has failed to put forward an adequate pay offer to their employees. Union members then determined, by ballot, to take protected industrial action to advance their ability to win a fair deal.
The existing collective agreement setting the pay and conditions of staff across ACL operations in WA, expired at the end of May. An initial poor offer by the company was overwhelmingly rejected by employees. Employees work in collection centres and laboratories across Perth and regional WA, playing an important role in diagnostic health care.
Both the company and union members have participated in facilitated bargaining with the assistance of the Fair Work Commission, however this week the talks broke down when ACL failed to present an expected new pay offer.
Many of these workers are highly skilled but low paid – with wages hovering around minimum Award rates. Workers are just asking for a pay increase that allows them to keep their head above water with ever increasing cost-of-living pressures.
During the work stoppage, HSUWA is confident that patients with critical or urgent needs will be looked after, however the public should expect delays for non-critical care needs. The responsibility for this outcome lies with the company, which is publicly listed on the Australian share market.
As well as the four-hour work stoppage, HSUWA has notified ACL that union members will also be taking other actions, including commenting on social media platforms and handing out informational flyers about their pay and conditions.
Union members will vote on their next steps at the four-hour stoppage on 12 September. They will consider taking further work bans and stoppages, if needed. This is the first-time health workers at ACL have taken industrial action against the company, however they feel they have been left with no other choice.
