The ramifications of an agreement renewal negotiation continuing into the fourth year are dire for the Dorevitch Pathology workforce.

Wages have slipped around 10 – 12% behind other private pathology companies. MSAV members now feel the impact of increasing living costs more than most.

On top of that morale across the company has reached a dangerous low. Turnover in some classifications is high and recruiting scientists is emerging as a looming crisis.

Despite this reality and recent history of frozen wages Dorevitch management have put an “offer” on the table that involves trading existing entitlements (sick leave, redundancy pay, paid parental leave for example) before any increase in wages will be offered.

Dorevitch claim its proposal for reduced entitlements is a strategy to achieve “productivity savings”. This is obviously nonsense, as there is not a single productivity benefit in reducing entitlements.

Dorevitch’s strategy is in fact one of costs reduction by reducing employee entitlements. It is worth noting that Dorevitch steadfastly refuses to acknowledge the wages freeze over the past 4 years has generated huge savings for the company.

Dorevitch management flatly refuse to accept that its workforce is angry about how you are being treated and that many are now struggling to maintain decent living standards.

Dorevitch members have had only 2 random wage increases of 1.5% each since 1 July 2007.

The MSAV will not walk away from this negotiation, and will continue to press for a fair and reasonable outcome.

Having said that, it is important to repeat the message we continue to give to Dorevitch management: the MSAV will not trade conditions of employment for wage increases.