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Summer 2005

On-Call Push Goes Tasmania-Wide

The campaign to win improved on-call rates in the Tasmanian public sector has gone statewide, with some key areas now coming on board and ready to take action.

Progress on the on-call issue has been deliberately stalled by Government for many months now, with workers becoming increasingly frustrated.

Workers in the Engineering and Maintenance Section of the LGH, Patient Transport in the North West, Environmental Services in the Mersey Campus, Housing in the South and North West and workers at the RHH in Hobart have now all joined forces to progress the claim.

HACSU State Secretary, Chris Brown, said members felt the current payment was totally inadequate for the effect on-call was having on their family arrangements and social life.

"Members are being forced to stay at home all day on-call, they can't go out, they have to miss their children's sporting events, they can't have a drink, and at the end of the day they are compensated to the tune of a few cents. It's an absolute joke," Chris Brown said.

"This matter was one of the issues held over for further negotiation at the end of the last public sector wages agreement. Six working parties were set up to look at various issues, one of which was about the on-call matter."

"Not one of these issues, including the on-call issue, has been progressed. It has been very frustrating."

"The bargaining process is very messy and the people with whom we are negotiating are not authorised to make a decision. It has to go to a Central Government sub-committee, then to Cabinet before we get the ok, so the authorisation process is complicated, with a lot of buck passing."

"The bottom line, however, is that it is very clear the Government and their negotiators are just stalling, that they are not negotiating in good faith, and it is a bit of an understatement to say members are fed up."

Chris Brown said that during the recent enterprise negotiations with health professionals, ambulance and nurses on-call rates had been increased and there was now a compelling case for flow on to other public sector staff.

"You can't expect people to disrupt their whole day for less than a dollar. I think what you will find is people will just not go on-call if the Government does not come to the table."

Strong sentiments are being expressed all round Tasmania on this issue. In Burnie, Patient Transport Services members were very clear.

"Why sell an hour of your time for 82 cents," one member said. "An hour of my time is worth more than that."

"On-call is effectively over time. To have to say to your kids "No we can't go to the pictures or out for tea, all for 82 cents, is not worth it."