RELEASED 29 MAY 2024
HSUWA Members, including Allied Health Professionals, Technicians, Assistants and Clerks from Perth Children’s Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and PathWest will rally to Stand Up! for better pay and conditions at a Stop Work Meeting today.
After a mass meeting of union members on 1 May at Fiona Stanley Hospital, this meeting is an escalation to industrial action. This is due to the State Government and Department of Health’s continued failure to present an Offer to the largest public sector health workforce in Western Australia, after the union presented a succinct log of 20 claims to the Health Department in November 2023.
HSUWA Members are claiming pay increases of 7% in the first year and 5% in the second year, in
addition to claims that provide rewarding career pathways for Allied Health Professionals and
Anaesthetic Technicians, safer working hours and conditions.
Quotes attributable to HSUWA Secretary Naomi McCrae:
“Our Members gave a deadline of 30 April to receive an Offer from the Health Department after
submitting their well-considered and reasonable claims over six months ago. They should not still be
waiting for a response.”
“The Allied Health, technical, and administrative workforce together form the largest group in public
health in WA, and they deserve to be respected for the valuable work they do.”
“The public health workforce, both before and during COVID-19, experienced a significant loss in real
wages. It is beyond the time the State Government acted and invested some of the budget surpluses
into shoring up this essential and irreplaceable workforce.”
“Allied Health Professionals are seeking commitments to reform antiquated and rigid career
pathways, to provide a career path to critical areas of health like pharmacy, medical science and
medical imaging. Our Anaesthetic Technicians Members are also calling for a proper career
structure.”
“Basic workforce support is critical to the retention and attraction of experienced health professionals
and the sustainability of public health. It is irresponsible to keep relying on incentivising overseas
workers to move here to plug the growing gaps in services. Our Members have identified simple and
sensible improvements that can help keep our most experienced and skilled professionals in public
health.”
HSUWA is a growing Union of thousands of trusted and respected health professionals who
provide critical clinical, administrative, and technical expertise across WA’s public and
private health services. Members work across all of Allied Health, Pharmacy, Pathology and
Medical Imaging as well as Health Administration. You can read more about the HSUWA here.
