+34
Thousands of doctors in Victoria's public hospital system plan a four-hour walkout this Thursday to protest poor pay and excessive working hours, with unions demanding a 28% pay rise and caps on shift lengths while ensuring critical care remains unaffected.
Victoria n doctors across the state's public system will walk off the job for four hours on Thursday afternoon. Critical care areas such as emergency departments and intensive care units will be unaffected by the strike, according to the unions.
As many as 10,000 doctors at Victoria's public hospitals could walk off the job later this week amid an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. , this week's action will be statewide, with the union warning that up to as many as 10,000 professionals could walk off the job. While emergency departments will not be affected, the Australian Medical Association said there could be disruptions to elective surgeries.
Unions are pushing for improvements to their working conditions, including a 12.5-hour cap on shifts, a limit of four consecutive night shifts — down from seven — and a 28 per cent pay rise over four years. AMA Victorian president Simon Judkins said it was disappointing that negotiations with the state government were yet to yield a pay offer after 14 months and dozens of meetings.
"We've put our log of claims on the table, and as yet we haven't seen any offer from the Carroll government. " we want our patients to get the best care that they can, we need our doctors to have the best work conditions that they can. And so that's really the aim of this action.
" Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation Victorian president Roderick McRae said the problem of excessive working hours and fatigue was so acute in hospitals that doctors felt they had no option but to strike. "Our doctors do not take the decision to go on strike lightly. But the reality is they are being rostered on for 84-hour weeks and frequently work even longer when emergencies occur," Dr McRae said.
He said the systemic fatigue presented an unacceptable risk to patient safety. Kevin Shi, who is part of the same union, said doctors were "simply asking for conditions that will help us look after patients to the best of our ability". The previous bid for a statewide strike was postponed after the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association argued before the Fair Work Commission that the notice period was inadequate.
In a press release about Thursday's strike, the AMA and ASMOF said staffing would remain above Saturday levels and patient safety would not be put at risk. Government frontbencher Tim Richardson said the Victorian Minister for Health and Mental Health, Ingrid Stitt, had spoken of working hard to support health workers and doctors.
"Across government, we see the Carroll Labor government leaning in to support people that support Victorians the most," Mr Richardson said. However, Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said it was a "disgrace" that no pay offer had been made by the state government.
Victoria Medical Strike Doctors Unions Public Health
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Victorian Man's Power Reconnected After Energy Provider Demanded Full PaymentA Victorian man had his electricity disconnected after failing to pay a $750 utility bill and was told he could not restore power until the full debt was cleared. Following contact with the state energy and water watchdog, his service was reconnected, he was offered a cheaper plan and received up to two years to repay the debt. Energy ombudsman figures show disconnection complaints doubled year-on-year, while debt collection complaints rose by 58 per cent amid increasing cost-of-living pressures.
Read more »
Victorian Utility Disconnection Complaints Double in June Quarter as Watchdog Warns RetailersComplaints about gas and electricity disconnections in Victoria doubled between April and June compared with the same quarter last year, new Energy and Water Ombudsman figures show, as advocates call for disconnections to be a last resort or banned outright.
Read more »
Union not told Victorian paramedics to take lead on mental health call-outsThe Victorian Ambulance Union says it has found out about a government plan to make paramedics the first responders to mental health call-outs through the media.
Read more »
Loophole exposed as wealthy developers funnel $58,800 to Victorian Liberals via shell companiesAn investigation reveals that three property developers, including the son of a $400 million nut king, exploited a regulatory gap by using a network of similarly named but legally distinct companies to donate $58,800 to the Victorian Liberal Party in a single week, a move that technically complied with state donation caps by treating each entity as an independent donor.
Read more »