New “Agreements”?  - Same Old Dodgy Deal!

Have I got a deal for you ...

We hear that Symbion Health management is now set to attempt another strategy, having failed to get 5 separate agreements* up across the businesses in Victoria, all of which would have cut staff’s terms and conditions, and none of which were negotiated with the Union. (* Scientists, Technicians, Support Staff, Couriers and Collectors Agreements)

Management has been visiting regional laboratories and has apparently been canvassing the idea of separate agreements to cover different laboratories, presumably covering all staff. Members also report that veiled threats have also been made about sending work to Melbourne.

Management at Symbion Health/Specialist Diagnostic Services  is still intent on paying staff less than all other private pathology providers and still intent on cutting sick leave, bereavement leave, redundancy pay and other conditions, reducing on call payments and taking away the right to have disputes arbitrated by FWA.

So it is the same old, same old attempt to reduce terms and conditions of employment, just in a different package. In our view no amount of money is worth the loss of core conditions of employment.

We will be watching developments, and will respond when appropriate. We remind members about what is at stake – your terms and conditions of employment.

Symbion Health remains the outlier in the private pathology industry in Victoria, with agreement having been reached by the MSAV with the three other major private providers (Melbourne Pathology, Healthscope Pathology (Gribbles) and St John of God Pathology) which have all maintained existing terms and conditions of employment and delivered wage increases.