Hospital Cleaners Battle Short-Staffing, Privatisation

Media release – Health and Community Services Union, 14 October 2024

HACSU cleaners at the Royal Hobart Hospital to strike over short-staffing and privatisation plans

Following an unprecedented vote of no confidence in management, HACSU Environmental Services members at the Royal Hobart Hospital will today stop work for one hour in their ongoing fight for better staffing.

Cleaners have long raised concerns around serious issues, including chronic understaffing, and the shortage of hospital linen for patients. Despite repeated pleas to address these problems, management has all but ignored their concerns.

In a move that further eroded trust between employees and their management, Hospital Support Services last week announced the shock decision to introduce contract cleaners into the hospital without any consultation with the existing workforce.

“Our members have reached a breaking point. They have been raising these serious issues for far too long, and it is completely unacceptable that management continues to turn a blind eye even after the no-confidence vote,” HACSU State Secretary Robbie Moore says.

“The move to outsource cleaning services not only brings the potential of job losses for our dedicated hospital cleaners, but also lower wages and poorer working conditions for those contract workers,” he added.

RHH cleaners are demanding increased staffing levels and the immediate scrapping of the plan to bring in contract cleaners.

HACSU cleaning members do not take the decision to stop work lightly but are prepared to escalate action if their reasonable concerns continue to be ignored by management.