MSAV members at Ballarat and Gippsland have joined their colleagues at Heidelberg in resolving to take indefinite industrial action until management makes an acceptable offer on pay. The offer which has been made (1.5% increase at 6 monthly intervals) would leave pay for scientists at Dorevitch well behind the other providers at various points in time over the next three years. By 2011 rates at Dorevitch will be around $50 per week behind market rates. The figures don’t lie – see the comparative graph here.

The 2009 annual report of Primary Health Pty Ltd (the owner of Dorevitch Pathology and Gippsland Pathology) shows that profits and profit margins in pathology increased in 2008-2009. Clearly the company can afford to pay market rates to scientists just as Dorevitch could afford to pay above the market rate in the past, when it was a high paying, high quality, highly profitable pathology business.

Yes, there have been some changes to Medicare rebates for pathology testing, but the Primary Health annual report states that these costs will be passed on to patients. All pathology providers have been affected by the changes. If the other providers can afford decent rates of pay for scientists, then so can Dorevitch/GPS.

Rates are higher in the public sector and other private pathology services because the employers in the other services have been prepared to bargain with the union in good faith and Dorevitch/GPS have not. Other private pathology services have been prepared to agree on an operative date for wage increases which have allowed negotiations to take place over time without prejudice to scientists’ interests. Dorevitch/GPS has adopted a strategy of delay, delay and more delay.