Fight continues for brothers over starting time
STATE Labor MP Paul Lynch has attacked as an “almost incomprehensible” waste of money, an 18-month industrial battle to stop two Liverpool Hospital painters from starting one hour earlier.
Liverpool
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A STATE MP has attacked the “almost incomprehensible” waste of money incurred in an 18-month industrial battle to stop two Liverpool Hospital painters from starting one hour earlier.
Twin brothers Craig and Cameron Zammit, 41, who work in the hospital’s engineering department, gained permission eight years ago to work from 6am to 2.30pm, instead of 7am to 3.30pm, so they could pick up their kids from school.
Six years later a new manager decided they should revert to their old hours.
They went to their union, but despite several conciliation attempts and a four-day arbitration hearing in the Industrial Relations Commission, the two parties are still at loggerheads after spending thousands of dollars in legal fees.
The IRC ruled the hospital had the right to manage its employees. The union’s appeal against this decision will be heard next month.
Meanwhile, the IRC has allowed the painters, who have five children between them, to continue working their earlier shifts, which have enabled them to avoid costly after-school care.
Liverpool state Labor MP Paul Lynch slammed the “substantial miss expenditure of public money” in trying to reverse an “entirely sensible” arrangement without any credible reason.
“It is almost as though there is some bizarre assumption by the health district that male painters are not interested in being hands-on parents,” he told Parliament.
“NSW Health should reverse its decision on this case and start behaving like real adults in the 21st century.”
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union has called on Premier Gladys Berejiklian to step in and honour her Government’s commitment to family-friendly work practices.
“The amount of money spent on this ridiculous argument is appalling,” said the union’s public sector organiser Paul Connell.
“They’ve spent so much money fighting this they can’t stop now to save face.
“I never thought this would go to arbitration.”
The brothers are not allowed to speak to the media without hospital permission, but their wives, who also work full time, have been vocal about their husbands’ treatment.
“Cameron and Craig have worked these hours for the past eight years with no impact whatsoever on the hospital, engineering department or patients,” said Michelle Zammit.
“If anything, it is more beneficial for them to start earlier, so they can work in the public areas before visiting hours.
“I am also a taxpayer and am not happy that Liverpool Hospital has spent so much time and money taking this issue to court when it could be spent on patient care.”
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Belinda Zammit said: “They just wanted to take (the earlier hours) away for no reason. I think it’s a control issue.”
A Liverpool Hospital spokesman said: “Flexible work practices are an important work option and the decision-making process must take into consideration the needs of the business or service as well as those of the applicant.”
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