Industrial action will commence this week with the following health services set to impose bans on the dates shown. NB Please note that psychologists will not be included at all health services at this stage because of the failure of the psychologist ballots at some health services. As noted below these health services are being re-balloted and, if successful, these psychologists will then be able to participate in the industrial action.

• Alfred Health Tuesday 19 June (not psychologists)
• Peter Mac Monday 18 June (all members)
• Melbourne Health 20/6 (not psychologists)
• St. Vincents Health 20/6 (all members)
• Southern Health 20/6 (not psychologists)
• RCH 20/6 (not psychologists)

We have applied for  fresh ballots in the following health services owing to errors and omissions in the original ballots:

• Austin Health (HSU and VPA)
• Eastern Health (HSU)
• Western Health (HSU)
• Alfred Health (VPA)
• Southern Health (VPA)

Members affected are urged to ensure that, if you do not receive a ballot paper from AEC that you contact either the AEC directly, or us. The problem with the last ballot was not members voting against industrial action but insufficient people voting. This largely arose because of errors in the electoral roll with some members being incorrectly omitted. It is important to note that for a ballot to be successful, at least 50% of members in each health service must vote and of the votes cast more than 50% must vote in favour of the industrial action.

Meanwhile negotiations with the DoH and the VHIA, which are now in their fifth month, drag on with very little progress. As noted in previous issues, the government is pressing for across the board cuts to wages and conditions including abolishing merit criteria for scientists, deleting named principal scientist positions, reducing protections to people affected by organisational restructuring, abolishing compulsory arbitration of disputes by FWA, etc. A copy of the employer log can be found in the members section of our web site. We need you to show your employer and the government that this is unacceptable.