More than 100 mental health workers walk off site at Barwon Health in Geelong

More than 100 mental health workers have walked off the job in Geelong demanding action over unfair pay and occupational violence and aggression towards staff.

Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) state secretary Paul Healey, Sarah Hathway, Wayne Watts and union organiser Cathy Kanizay.

More than 100 mental health workers have walked off the job at Barwon Health demanding action over unfair pay, occupational violence and aggression towards staff.

The industrial action took place from 1-3pm on Tuesday and impacted operations across the Geelong hospital’s mental health area, including the Swanston Centre.

Workers from the inpatient, continuing care, aged inpatient, community teams, emergency mental health, CATT and hospital outreach post-suicide teams all walked off site.

Mental health staff walked off the job on Monday.

Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) state secretary, Paul Healey, said employees had been left frustrated at recent pay negotiations and an “overarching lack of care for staff”

“There is no desire to build proper career paths and staff profiles, we just don’t have the proper structures and services,” he said.

It is the third protest against conditions in Victoria this year.

Austin Health will strike for two-hours on March 14, while all area mental health services stopped for 15 minutes on Friday.

The Swanston Centre in Geelong.

Mr Healey said the union had reached a stalemate between the Victorian Hospitals Industry Association or the Victorian State Government to offer its workforce “a fair and reasonable deal.”

Staffers include mental health nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, health professionals, lived experience workers, administrative staff and many other disciplines.

“The focus of the EBA is about more than wages – it’s about the structure of the area mental health services,” he said.

“Money is great, but far more is needed to ensure that all mental health workplaces are safe, offer a best practice and standardised response to occupational violence and aggression and enables workers to provide the treatment, care and support that consumers and their families when they need it most”.

It comes amid recent safety concerns by some employees inside the Swanston Centre Acute Psychiatric Admissions Unit.

Barwon Health’s interim clinical director of mental health, drugs and alcohol services, Dr Roth Trisno, said the rights of employees to engage in protected industrial action was supported.

He said ensuring consumer and staff safety remained a priority.

“Essential staffing levels are being maintained and mental health services continue to

operate as usual during the ongoing protected industrial action.”

Originally published as More than 100 mental health workers walk off site at Barwon Health in Geelong