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Summer 2005

Big $s owed on underpayment claim

HACSU members at the North West Private Hospital are fighting hard to win an important underpayment back-pay claim, with thousands of dollars in question for some members.

Staff, who have been negotiating this claim since 2001, reached a point where they were ready to walk out the door and take industrial action following constant stalling by management in settling the claim.

The claim is the result of the non-payment of public holidays for both part-time and full-time shift workers over many years.

A dispute has now been lodged in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, where management has acknowledged the claim is valid.

Management's legal representatives are arguing back pay on this issue should only go back 3 years, rather than taking into account all years for which non-payment of this entitlement occurred.

Members believe, on moral grounds, they should be paid the full amount and should not be penalised because of the delay in settling this claim.

HACSU Industrial Organiser, Mark Fagan, said members were fed up and it was an insult members had not been paid after 4 years.

"You can understand why members would be angry and disillusioned," Mark said.

"I think management has to understand if they want respect from workers, if they want a motivated workforce, this is not the way to achieve it."