Townsville Hospital and Health Service confirms industrial action

A number of NQ non-medical staff have launched industrial action across Townsville Hospital and Health Services, planned to run until Christmas. See what they’re asking for.

Townsville University Hospital. Picture: Evan Morgan

Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS) has confirmed that a number of primarily non-medical staff have launched industrial action.

THHS confirmed “work bans” were implemented across THHS facilities, including Townsville University Hospital, at 12.01am on Monday.

The selective bans, which include cleaning, linen services, porterage, food services, stores, record-keeping, some administrative functions and waste, are scheduled to run through to 11.59pm on Christmas Eve.

THHS Chief Executive Kieran Keyes confirmed on Monday evening that Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) and Together Queensland (TQ) had been granted approval by the Industrial Registrar of Queensland for members “to engage in protected industrial action as part of enterprise bargaining negotiations”.

Mr Keyes said employees who were members of the AWU and Together were eligible to engage in protected industrial action.

THHS Chief Executive Officer Kieran Keyes at Townsville University Hospital. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“It is important that as a health service we respect the rights of our colleagues to participate in the bans and conversely the choices of those who have elected not to participate,” he said.

“At this stage there are no impacts to patient care with staff continuing to work together to support the continuation of service delivery in areas impacted by the bans.”

Mr Keyes said THHS had assembled a health-service incident management team that was “working together to understand the impacts of this protected action and develop any contingency plans”.

“I’d like to reassure the community that patient and staff safety is our number one priority, and we will continue to provide updates as we know more.”

Townsville University Hospital’s Emergency Department. Picture: Evan Morgan

Queensland Department of Health is responsible for enterprise-bargaining negotiations with registered trade unions.

A spokesman said the health department was continuing to negotiate in good faith with AWU, TQ and other unions to reach new enterprise-bargaining agreement with staff, and added it respected the right of staff to take protected industrial action.

“Hospitals have contingency plans in place to understand and manage the impacts of protected industrial action,” he said.

“Bans on work do not apply in emergency situations. Anyone presenting to hospitals requiring emergency care will be seen.”

The spokesman said that as negotiations were ongoing, “it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Both THHS and the department did not answer specific questions regarding how many workers were striking or details pertaining to the apparent impasse in negotiations.

The Nurses Professional Association of Queensland, which is not involved in negotiations, said more workers had joined the industrial action.

President Margaret Gilbert said patients and staff security had been placed at risk because of the lack of security staff.

Early last month, Mr Keyes said THHS would launch a “comprehensive investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the death of Vietnam veteran Vincent O’Keefe after an altercation with another patient in the Ward Five dementia unit.

Ms Gilbert said nurses had also reported that “rubbish is building up, and this health and safety problem must be managed better”.

“Nurses are again in the firing line thanks to the inability of hospital management and Queensland health bureaucrats to resolve this matter with operational workers,” she said.

“Our members should not have to do the PSA’s work just because the bureaucrats can’t solve an industrial problem.”

She said unions were calling for a 6 per cent pay rise “and other improvements to pay and conditions”.

Originally published as Townsville Hospital and Health Service confirms industrial action