Paramedics At Hunter Ambulance Station Strike Over Staffing Dispute

 BY IAN CROUCH

Crews at Rutherford Ambulance Station are standing down as a stalemate with ambulance management deepens.

Crews are only responding to urgent or life-threatening calls.

They say a new ambulance deployed to their station means paramedics are now being sent to cover staff shortages as far away as Muswellbrook, Nelson Bay and Belmont instead of the needs of the growing population of Maitland as originally intended.

But the Health Services Union says the extra resource is needed locally.

Hunter Nurses, Paramedics & Police To Get Pay Rise

 BY IAN CROUCH

Frontline public sector workers who kept the Hunter community safe during the Coronavirus pandemic will get a pay rise from the 1st of July.

Hospital workers, paramedics and police will be among those to receive a 2.5 per cent increase.

It follows a concerted campaign by nurses who argued the government needed to keep it's promise for the full increase after offering just 1.1 per cent.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Government's decision to boost pay came on the back of renewed confidence in the NSW economy.

Meanwhile, Hunter Ambulance paramedics are again taking industrial action on Tuesday despite the announcement.

They'll only respond to like-threatening emergencies.

The Health Services union says the salaries of NSW  paramedics are not keeping up with their interstate counterparts

Health Services Union Secretary, Gerard Hayes says paramedics will still respond in urgent circumstances.

"The Ambulance Service is there to supply support to the community. The important issue is that any serious case of life-threatening case will be responded to. Low acuity cases will take some time to respond to" he said.

Gerard Hayes

 

Health Union Welcomes Hospital Security Review

 BY IAN CROUCH

 The Health Services Union is welcoming a statewide review of hospital security following a rise in violent incidents against staff at hospitals over the past 10 years, including here the Hunter.

The review by former Police Minister, Peter Anderson recommends a number of measures including a trial of capsicum foam and other defensive tools to help de-escalate threatening situations, wearing of duress alarms in Emergency Departments and improved access to mental health assessments.

The review made 107 recommendations including investing in permanent rather than contract security staff and enhancing security in emergency departments at some rural and regional hospitals.

It comes after a security guard was attacked by a patient with a pair of scissors at the Calvary Mater Hospital in May 2019, leaving him with cuts to his face and back.

HSU NSW Secretary Gerard Hayes said he hoped the review would provide ED staff with more defensive tools and lead to the employment of extra permanent security officers in the state's hospitals.

Former Police Minister Peter Anderson

Fair Work Commission to Assess Pay Rise for Aged Care Workers

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Health Services Union will bring a landmark work value case before the Fair Work Commission on Thursday, hoping to lift wages for aged care workers by 25 percent.

If the case is successful, more than 200,000 staff in the aged care sector would see their pay increase by at least five dollars an hour - a qualified personal carer would see their base hourly rate jump from $23.09 to $28.86.

The union is also attempting have specialist carers in areas such as dementia or palliative care recognised.

HSU President Gerard Hayes said aged care workers have suffered from underpayment and insecure work for too long and deserved to be "recognised and paid for their skills."

"4 in 10 people plan on leaving aged care within the next two to three years, because it's just not sustainable," Mr Hayes said. "People are working two or three jobs to be able to make ends meet because they can't just work in one facility." 

"There's a whole of these issues that have been exemplified in real time, throughout the Royal Commission, and if we're not doing something immediately, then I think it's an indictment on the society that we have."

Recent modelling by the HSU has claimed a 0.65 percent rise in the Medicare levy would raise $20.4 billion and provide the necessary funds to accommodate both the pay rise and an additional 59,000 jobs in the aged care sector.

"The Federal Government cannot keep hiding behind the Aged Care Royal Commission," Mr Hayes said. "We need action immediately." 

John Hunter Staff Stop Work Amid Ongoing Concerns

BY JORDYN RANKIN

Hospital support workers employed by HealthShare at the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle have walked off the job today to protest chronic understaffing and lack of training.

Members are infuriated by the failure of HealthShare management to address the long-standing issues at both John Hunter and Rankin Park hospital and stopped work at 10am for four hours.

Workers say they're sick of being treated with contempt and hope today's action will send a clear signal to HealthShare that their concerns cannot be ignored any longer.

Wardspersons, security staff, bed makers, food services staff and cleaners have stopped work, supported by allied health workers, administrative staff and theatre assistants.

The stop work meeting is being held at the entrance to the Royal Newcastle Centre.

Image: ABC

John Hunter Hospital Staff Rally

BY CAOIMHE MACCARTHY

Allied health professionals, cleaners, and kitchen staff gathered outside the John Hunter Hospital during their lunch break today in order to support their colleagues facing uncertain futures at Maitland Hospital.

At 12.30pm a staff rally was held to highlight their concerns to the community over the delivery of public health services in the new Maitland Hospital at Metford.

"What we want to do is highlight to the Government that we might be out in the regional area but we're just as important as the other four hospitals that are now being publically funded", says Cindy Paull from the Health Services Union, "Maitland deserves exactly the same treatment".

Staff from the John Hunter Hospital rallied to show their support for their work colleagues in Maitland outlining that the community will not benefit from the hospital privatisation and further concerns about job security and the importance of nurse-to-patient ratios.

"They believe just like everybody else in the community down in Maitland that Maitland deserves a public hospital, so what they're doing today is they're showing their support for the community and also for their fellow workers".

This Sunday at Maitland Park another rally will be held - calling out for members of the community to get behind the message that Maitland is as deserving as any other NSW community for the right to a public hospital.

John Hunter Hospital health workers join in support to keep Maitland Hospital Public.. @HSUNSW @nswnma @ASMOFnsw #hunterworkers @unionsnsw pic.twitter.com/d7w1kaJkS7

— Hunter Workers (@HunterUnions) November 21, 2017