Media release – Health and Community Services Union, 6 November 2024
TasIVF embryologists escalate industrial action over fair wages and working conditions
HACSU embryologists at TasIVF will today escalate their industrial action and walk off the job again over their long-running dispute with their employer, Virtus Health, over fair wages.
HACSU has been bargaining with Virtus since May when medical scientists made a claim for pay parity with their mainland counterparts in order to attract and retain sufficient numbers of staff.
When bargaining reached a stalemate, HACSU members lodged a protected action ballot and voted on different forms of industrial action, including stop-work meetings. Virtus has since used bullying tactics to scare workers out of enacting some of the bans by threatening to dock their pay for:
- Not responding to emails
- Changing in to required medical scrubs in work time
- Not doing minor data entry related to non-urgent pathology
Throughout the bargaining process, medical scientists have presented their employer with at least six reasonable counteroffers to progress the claim, but Virtus refuses to negotiate in good faith.
“The latest offer from Virtus now pits worker against worker,” HACSU Assistant State Secretary Tammy Munro says.
“Virtus has offered a one-off payment to employees, including nurses and administration staff, that would be lucky to cover a fortnight’s groceries, rather than giving medical scientists a reasonable wage increase to match their mainland counterparts,” she added.
Embryologists at TasIVF do not take the decision to stop work lightly but have been pushed to breaking point, with today’s action highlighting their frustration and determination to secure a fair deal that benefits both staff and patients through improved staffing numbers, working conditions and fair wages.
