Canberra Hospital’s Medical Imaging union members will place a 48-hour ban on overtime from midnight tonight. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members who work in Canberra Health Services’ Medical Imaging Department will extend their overtime bans after they failed to reach an agreement on pay and work conditions.
Union members will action an overtime ban from midnight next Thursday (26 October) until midnight Saturday 18 November, following a 48-hour ban that took place on 10 to 12 October.
According to the union, negotiations over improved pay and conditions have been underway for nearly 18 months, but imaging staff continue to leave the Canberra Health Services (CHS) system to work in more lucrative roles in other jurisdictions.
CPSU national president Brooke Muscat said the ACT Government and CHS needed to act fast.
“There are serious shortages of Allied Health professionals across the service, which if left unaddressed, will lead to more delays, unsafe work practices and services dropping below the standards expected by the Canberra community,” she said.
“CPSU members don’t want to take industrial action, but when the Government gives staff nothing but radio silence, it’s difficult for members to do anything else.
“Chief Minister Andrew Barr needs to step in – for our Allied Health workers and for the Canberrans who rely on them.
“Our members have three simple asks: a commitment to talking about safe staffing levels during the life of the agreement; additional time off after working excessive shift work and overtime; and pay scales that allow for decent career progression.
“Our Allied Health professionals are telling Canberra Health Services and the ACT Government what they need to stay local and deliver safe services here in Canberra. But in failing to listen, the Government is telling them to go.”
A Canberra Health Services spokesperson said: “CHS will work with the CPSU and staff involved to ensure there is no impact on medical imaging services while this industrial action takes place.
“Our radiographers are a valued part of team CHS. They do important work and provide a high standard of care to their patients.
“The ACT Government continues to work with all unions to finalise negotiations on the Health Professionals Enterprise Agreement.”
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