United Voice Union Erina Early on delayed strike for support health staff

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We know that it had sort of been planned that
they were going to take that industrial action. I think
it was earlier this week, but that strike has been
pushed back to the third of December. And joining me
on the line from United Voice CDs, Erina Early. Good morning, Erina,
Morning Katie, thanks so much for your time this morning. Now, Erina,
what is the situation as it currently stands when you

(00:22):
are planning on taking When are they planning that industrial action?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
So, Katie, So the industry action was planned for Tuesday
this week, but due to the cyclone, our delegates suggested
let's push it back a week because a lot of
people are impacted by the cyclone. So we've got it
scheduled for next Wednesday, the third of December.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Erina, The weeks are all merging at the moment, following
on from that bloody cyclone. I thought I couldn't remember
if it was earlier this week or when it was.
So what are they planning exactly? I know you'd told
us that they were looking at sort of having an
hour where they they stood down from work. That was
the plan earlier this week. What's the go for the
third of December?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
The third of December is we've got walk off for
an hour, and then we've got walkoffs for two hours.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Okay, that's all in the one day or over it.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
All on the same day, So all the hospitals across
the NT will be walking off at the same time,
and including the bochanical gardens here in Darwin.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
Okay, how many are you expecting to walk off the job?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, we've got the Health Services Union joining us as well.
They'll be joining in the walk off, so we're expecting
really nearly a thousand workers are going to be involved.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
And talk us through what kind of workers I know
that I mentioned a little while ago, you know some
that we understand. It will include like the cleaners, water assistance, radiographers,
catering stuff. But talk us through what kind of stuff
we are expecting to walk off the job.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
So, as you've mentioned there, Katie, so we're going to
have catering staff, our housekeeping, radiographers, scenographers, we've got allied
health professionals as well from the Health Services Union. We've
got arbitros and our horticulturists as botanical gardens, we've got biomedical,

(02:16):
we've got the sterilization teams. There's many that come under
that will be walking off next.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Week and what do they want to see? Erona, like,
what is the hope from this walk off?

Speaker 2 (02:29):
I think Katie, it's not just about money, Katie. It's
basically it's over the years, as you know, we've got
a broken health system and they really want to it's
about discussing with people and trying to have a strong
voice about there is these issues, and it's about government
accountability within the health. It's about rostering, it's about fatigue management,

(02:53):
it's about attraction and attention, and they generally feel that
the Commission of Public Employment and of them and aren't
listening to them.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Erin a bit of a side note, but have many
of the stuff said much to you about the bricks
and about the damage to the hospital as well following
on from the cyclone.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
A few of them are spoken to us Katie. A
lot of them were like, oh my god, something could
have been walking under there. They're really happy that no
one really got injured. In regards to it's quite scary.
A few of them have said they knew something like
this would happen, you know, they were quite surprised that's
happened so late. They thought it would have happened years ago,
but most of them are in good spirits because they

(03:32):
were busy, they were working that night, et cetera. They
had other priorities to deal with. They just kept on
going with their jobs.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah. Well, and you know what, so many Territorians just
digging in on the weekend and helping one another out,
which is a wonderful thing to say.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Oh, it's fantastic. It really was such all the community
coming together was absolutely amazing.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
Well erin early. I'll be really interested to see how
things sort of go next week with that walk off,
I won't be at work, but please keep us up
to date with how things track along. And no doubt
we'll talk to you again in the new year.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
No worries, you definitely will. Thanks Katie, had a lovely day.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Thank you you too,