Such is the state of these negotiations that EBA meetings are now being held in Fair Work Australia. The meetings between the Unions and Dorevitch management are chaired by a FWA Commissioner.

This situation results out of the utter frustration of the Unions involved and in the face of Dorevitch’s belligerent refusal to make any offer to increase wages, despite the fact this workgroup have not had an EBA wage increase since July 2007.

Dorevitch management has agreed to present to the next conference on 14 December a firm costing proposal in relation to wage increases.

Meanwhile….

Whilst Dorevitch lectures Unions and workers about its demand that staff trade-off core conditions to ‘fund’ any wage increase, it appears senior management have been given a massive 33% increase to base pay.

The Australian Financial Review has reported that Primary have increased the pathology chief operating officer’s base pay from $375,000 to $500,000 – surprisingly enough, no mention of any trade-offs!

There must be something seriously wrong with a company that on the one hand spends 4 years furiously opposing any wage increase for workers, but on the other, gives huge increases to executives.

Dorevitch staff will of course assume that Dorevitch’s financial position must be in good shape if it can afford to increase some salaries by 33%.

The same staff will be bitterly disappointed that financial rewards are being distributed to only a few privileged managers.