What: Rally of 200 health workers, on strike from Flinders Medical Centre, the Repat, Noarlunga Hospital.
Where: Outside Health Minister Chris Picton’s electorate office, Seaford Meadows Shopping Centre, Shop 9/760 Grand Blvd, Seaford Meadows SA 5169
When: 1.45pm.
Who: Barb Possingham, FMC Patient Services Attendant; Demi Pnevmatikos, United Workers Union SA State Secretary and National Public Sector Director.
Dickensian hospital conditions and impossible workloads form the backdrop to strike action today by SA health workers, as 200 hospital workers walk off the job demanding a fair pay rise.
In the largest strike action in SA health workers’ enterprise bargaining campaign to date, health workers are demanding the Malinauskas Government address pay rates that lag 20 per cent behind workers in other states.
The strike occurs days before a meeting with the Premier scheduled on July 31. The strike also adds to other serious issues facing the SA health system, including recent strike threats by doctors.
The workers’ campaign has highlighted a struggling health system in which public health services essential to the South Australian community are compromised by understaffing.
“It’s pretty simple. When there’s no one to clean an emergency cubicle because they can’t afford to stay in the job, South Australians get ramped in ambulances,” United Workers Union SA State Secretary and National Public Sector Director Demi Pnevmatikos said today.
“And you are heading right back to the 19th century when you expect workers to hand fold laundry for a modern hospital with about 100 beds.”
Issues exposed during the campaign include:
- Patient Services Attendants at Flinders Medical Centre running on five out of 10 night shifts filled – resulting in slower room turnover, backlogs of patients waiting to be moved and ramping of ambulances.
- Operating theatre attendants previously expected to service two operating theatres at Flinders Medical Centre are now expected to cover up to four – again leading to slower turnover and delays.
- Workers at Whyalla Hospital are expected to hand fold laundry covering 100 beds (73 in-patient beds, 24 day beds/chairs and an emergency department) amid regular malfunctioning of the linen folding machine. (See photograph)
- Two workers expected to provide full food services to the 55-bed Port Augusta Hospital as well as meals-on-wheels for the surrounding area.
- At the Women’s and Children’s Hospital from Monday to Friday there are seven theatre orderlies rostered on to cover eight surgical theatres. Over the weekend however, there is only one theatre orderly rostered to cover up to five surgical theatres, depending on demand.
“You can’t fix ramping without fixing staffing. You can’t fix staffing without respecting support services,” Ms Pnevmatikos said.
“SA health and disability support workers are at least 20 per cent worse off than other states where workers are performing exactly the same duties.
“You can’t expect to attract and retain the workers you need to do the vital jobs in disability support, patient care and keeping the health and disability support systems running when you pay workers so poorly.”
United Workers Union members cover a broad range of health roles including hospital cleaners, patient services assistants, operating theatre and intensive care unit attendants, food services, laundry and sterilisation technicians, including in remote and regional areas.
Background:
Today’s action is part of the state-wide industrial campaign by United Workers Union members. Since February, more than 1,000 health support workers and over 1,100 Department of Human Services disability support workers have implemented work bans to demand fair pay and an end to chronic understaffing. These work bans and stop-works are ongoing.
Photo captions:
- MP Eddie Hughes taking a photograph of workers Rebecca and Leanne hand folding the linen because the folding machine has broken (again!) on a visit by the MP arranged by United Workers Union on Thursday July 17: MP Eddie Hughes taking picture of Rebecca and Leanne folding laundry at Whyalla Hospital
- Flinders Medical Centre Emergency Department entrance “chalked up” after 5 in 10 night shifts of Patient Services Attendants left unfilled earlier this year: Flinders Medical Centre emergency room doors chalked up