HOSPTAL “HELPERS” TO STRIKE – FRIDAY

More than 80 West Gippsland Hospital staff will go on strike for 24 hours from midnight next Thursday.

WGH secretary-manager Mr W. Deakin said this morning it was likely that emergency arrangements would need to be made if the need arose.

The stoppage has been called in support of staff claims for Public Holiday benefits.

It follows a meeting at the hospital last Wednesday of members of the No.1 branch of the Hospital Employees Federation.

Those involved in the stoppage will be nursing aides, orderlies, laundry, kitchen, domestic, theatre and clerical staff and transport drivers.

The meeting last Wednesday unanimously agreed to the 24-hour stoppage.

It was addressed by the HEF’s Federal Secretary, Mr K Mitchell.

A similar meeting of the Gippsland Base Hospital (Sale) staff last Tuesday also agreed to a 24-hour stoppage.

Mr Mitchell said yesterday the stoppage was in support of staff claims for retention of Public Holiday benefits for those staff rostered off-duty on Public Holidays.

He said it followed the “unsatisfactory result” of months of negotiation between the HEF and Victorian Hospitals Industrial Council.

Mr Mitchell said that before 1965, all staff received Public Holiday benefits for 10 Public Holidays each year, whether they were rostered on duty or not. “This decision greatly affects shift workers in hospitals,” he said.

“Strike action was taken at some hospitals during the Christmas-New Year Holiday period, he said.

Mr Mitchell said the Warragul meeting last Wednesday had asked the HEF executive to recommend a date for the stoppage.

He said that several hospitals, including the Royal Children’s, Maffra District, Gippsland Base and Box Hill and Districts and Kingston Centre at Cheltenham would stop work for 24 hours from midnight next Thursday.

“We have recommended similar action to Warragul members,” he said.

Mr Mitchell said the stoppage would be the first major one by HEF members at the WGH for many years.