Strike action by members at Southern Heath, St Vincent’s Health, Austin Health, Bayside Health and Bendigo Health last week got the DHS to the negotiating table – well done those members.

Members at Melbourne Health kept up the pressure on the government today to settle the dispute with an acceptable offer.

Tomorrow the focus of the action shifts to Goulburn Valley Health where members will implement 24 hour strike action at Shepparton Base Hospital, Echuca Hospital and Cobram Hospital. On Wednesday members at Eastern Health including Box Hill Hospital, the Angliss Hospital, Maroondah Hospital and the Peter James Centre will begin a 24 hour stoppage.

If talks in the AIRC on Wednesday fail to lead to an acceptable, just outcome, then we will go ahead with the State-wide stoppage at all sites where the protected industrial action ballots have been held on FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2008.  We will hold a mass meeting on Friday – time and venue to be advised.

We will be notifying the health services today of Friday’s protected industrial action at  Southern Health, St Vincent’s Health, Austin Health, Bayside Health, Bendigo Health, Melbourne Health, Goulburn Valley Health and Eastern Health. Members should start making preparations now for a 24 hour strike on Friday across all sites with no exemptions apart from genuine emergency work. Private work should NOT be done at any site. As we keep saying, it seems that industrial action, not rational negotiation, is the only language the Brumby government understands.