Media release – 21 August 2024
Child safety workers in Launceston take stop work action over government’s insufficient staffing plan
Frontline child safety and youth justice workers in northern Tasmania will continue their statewide industrial action today, with a one-hour stop work to protest the government’s inadequate response to the ongoing staffing crisis. Workers are expressing deep concern over what they describe as a ‘quick fix’ approach that fails to address the root issues.
In the wake of the recent tragic death of a child in the northwest – believed to be linked to an unactioned case due to staff shortages – Children and Youth Minister Roger Jaensch introduced an emergency workforce plan. This plan includes two $5,000 payments and a 15% market allowance, but only for Child Safety Officers, Allied Health Professionals in the Advice and Referral Line, and Youth Justice roles in the north west. Critically, this plan excludes child safety support workers, youth workers, youth justice workers, unit coordinators, and other essential frontline staff who play a crucial role in protecting vulnerable children and families daily.
Workers are warning that the government’s fragmented approach, and the failure to implement a comprehensive market allowance for all frontline child safety workers, is grossly insufficient. They argue that this strategy fails to ensure efficient service operation and neglects the broader recruitment and retention issues plaguing the sector statewide.
HACSU Industrial Manager Lucas Digney stated, “The government is attempting to patch up a deep-seated problem by throwing money at it in a bid to deflect political criticism following a tragic loss of life. But these stopgap measures won’t resolve the severe staffing shortages that put Tasmanian children and young people at risk. Without adequate staffing, more tragedies are inevitable.”
The government’s emergency workforce plan not only falls short but also risks the safety of those it is meant to protect. Child Safety Services and Youth Justice workers across the state are demanding immediate, comprehensive, and meaningful solutions to address the staffing crisis.
The stop work action will begin at 11am today outside the museum on Wellington Street, where workers will engage with the community through wobble boarding and conversations.
Medical Imaging workers ramp up strike action as government stalls on pay talks
Today, HACSU radiographers, sonographers and nuclear medicine technologists at the RHH have again been left with no option but to escalate their industrial action, walking off the job for two hours.
This comes as the Medical Imaging Department experiences over 30% vacancy rates, causing staff burnout and leaving some of the most vulnerable in the community without vital scans.
Medical imaging workers are making the reasonable request to receive a market allowance – an additional standing increase to the base salaries to match mainland wages – and have been taking industrial action for over three months, including recently banning the use of a new $9 million CT scanner in the Department and halting all billing for patient referrals. Despite this, the government has not engaged directly with the workers’ union since June.
“The health minister committed prior to the last state election that he was going to fix the health system, and it just shows that we’re still in crisis when workers need to strike just to try and get the minister to listen,” HACSU State Secretary Robbie Moore says.
“The fact remains we have massive staffing shortfalls in medical imaging, and we simply cannot attract these vital health professionals due to the significant pay disparity between Tasmanian medical imaging workers and their interstate counterparts.”
If the government continues to turn a blind eye to this staffing crisis, workers will be forced to consider escalating to full-day work stoppages.
Media release – Roger Jaensch, Minister for Children and Youth, 7 August 2024
Make a difference working with Tasmanian families
The Tasmanian Government has launched a nation-wide recruitment campaign to attract people who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, young people and their families.
The campaign will launch today across Tasmania and the mainland on buses, billboards, in newspapers, social media and online and features current Child Safety staff, talking about the impact of their work.
Minister for Children and Youth, Roger Jaensch, said the campaign would encourage workers to join the efforts to help families in Tasmania.
“Our people are change-makers who make a positive impact in the lives of the children and families they serve,” Minister Jaensch said.
“We’re calling on people who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, young people and their families to join our Child Safety workforce.
“This is not just about adding numbers to our team, it’s about finding people with the right skills and passion for this important work.”
Last month the Tasmanian Government announced a new workforce package for frontline Child Safety, Advice and Referral Line (ARL) and Youth Justice employees, including financial incentives and other strategies to attract and retain staff, including relocation support and new scholarship opportunities.
North west staff, where vacancies are the highest, will receive a 15 per cent market allowance and workers relocating to the north west will receive a settling-in payment as well as relocation expenses.
Subject to union agreement, all eligible allied health professional Child Safety, Advice and Referral Line and Youth Justice employees and managers statewide will receive a payment of $10,000, which will be paid as an immediate $5000 payment, followed by another payment after 12 months continuous service.
The Tasmanian Government, under its 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future will continue to develop stronger communities so that Tasmania is the best place to live, work and raise a family.
Details of the Child Safety workforce incentives and the range of positions, salaries, benefits and career pathways on offer can be found at https://www.decyp.tas.gov.au/
