Health workers reject pay offer
BRISBANE — Non-nursing health unions rejected a Queensland government pay offer on August 1. The Labor government offered its 32,000 non-nursing health workers a pay increase of 3.5% or $23, whichever is the greatest, paid over two- or three-year periods. The unions are demanding a 12% pay increase over two years.
Queensland Public Sector Union state secretary Alex Scott promised that the workers' industrial campaign would escalate, resulting in further bed closures and bans on elective surgery.
Each of the 10 unions affiliated with the Queensland Council of Unions rejected the government's offer. However, the Australian Workers Union, representing about 10,000 state government health workers staff, has opted to put the offer to a vote of members. The AWU represents many lower-paid workers; $23 a week would equate to a 4% pay increase.
Nurses continue campaign
HOBART — The Australian Nursing Federation and the Health and Community Services Union have raised concerns that a health department a review into a new staffing model is not sufficiently transparent and may not result in a "workable" outcome.
Both the ANF and HACSU have called on the Industrial Relations Commission to intercede into the review. Both unions are keen to ensure that there is union input into any final decisions that get made.
Alliance votes for registration drive
MELBOURNE — The Victorian state conference of the Socialist Alliance, held on August 3, pledged to continue a campaign for state electoral registration of the alliance.
Some 500 people have so far joined the alliance in Victoria, which is the minimum required to register a party for a state election.
The conference's 40 delegates agreed that the alliance should mount an all-out drive to increase membership to 700 before the end of August, when an application for electoral registration will be made.
From Green Left Weekly, August 7, 2002.
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