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VHPA members at Healthcare Imaging Services (HIS) are getting fed up with the response of management and are being surveyed as to what types of industrial action they are prepared to undertake.
Negotiations over a new Enterprise Agreement are at an impasse after HIS management sought to strip away conditions to the ‘bare bones’ of the Award.
The management of HIS have finally put a pay offer on the table—months after the Health Professionals team there submitted their log of claims.
Disappointingly it involves a miniscule pay rise of just 1% in the first year with any other increase to come from a new ‘profit share scheme’.
Members have condemned this insulting pay offer and have expressed anger at being used, via the bonus-scheme, as a means of absorbing the companies business risk.
The history of ‘profit-share schemes in other businesses is not reassuring with unions finding they often fail to provide adequate pay or income security for workers. To be effective, profit-share schemes require a high degree of commitment from employees and trust in the management – two factors that unfortunately are not evident at HIS.
The EA process has also shone light on two current conditions that HIS do not appear to have been paying consistently across sites. These are the early shift allowance and the change of shift allowance.
The VHPA intends to pursue backpay for these on behalf of members.
“In the circumstances it is little wonder that members have told us they want to take action over their Enterprise Agreement,” said Linda Jenkin, VHPA Lead Organiser.
“The message we’re hearing is clear: ‘enough is enough’ – now we need you to tell us what you’re prepared to do in defence of your pay and conditions.”
“Please attend the upcoming workplace meetings and complete the ‘HIS EA Actions Survey’ so we can gauge your interest in various actions ahead of a ballot in the Fair Work Commission.”