MEDIA RELEASE

Following a shock move last week by management of Alfred Health to retrench two Occupational Therapists and close the services they provide, the Health Professionals’ Union has successfully insisted on a consultation process.

At a meeting this week the union strongly expressed concern over the treatment of staff to hospital management.

“Management has now agreed to provide details of their reasons for the redundancies and an opportunity to submit alternatives,” said Health Professionals’ Union Secretary Craig McGregor.

Last week management of Alfred Health made two health professionals from the Caulfield Hospital Occupational Therapy Department redundant, stating that “Organisational financial pressures have required Alfred Health to reduce costs in order to meet the 2013-14 budget through service reduction opportunities…”

“The Health Professionals’ union which represents the workers is appalled by the sackings and the harsh manner in which they were carried out,” said Mr McGregor.

”No one deserves to be treated in this way, let alone two professionals who have worked hard to help recovering patients. 

“One of the therapists had been with the hospital 17 years and the other more than 10 years and yet they were marched off the premises immediately after being told they had lost their jobs.

“These retrenchments will see patients miss out on hours of therapy designed to help them recover from illness and injury,” said Mr McGregor.

Last month the Union was successful in overturning the forced redundancy of a member at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

 Alfred Health Redundancies – pdf