HACSU embryologists, nurses and administrative staff at TasIVF and Hobart Specialist Day Hospital will today walk off the job for one hour to highlight their long-running dispute with their employer, Virtus Health, over fair wages and working conditions.
Despite the company’s substantial wealth – Virtus is owned by a multi-billion dollar investment firm – management refuses to consider workers’ claims for mainland wage parity to help address chronic staffing shortages or even pay embryologists and nurses for changing in and out of required scrubs.
“Embryologists are essential to the IVF process, ensuring the meticulous handling and care of embryos, but here we have an employer telling these workers they’re worth less than their mainland counterparts performing the same crucial roles,” HACSU State Secretary Robbie Moore says.
“We’ve even seen Virtus Health taking heavy-handed action against employees for implementing low-level work bans, with threats to dock their pay for not completing minor administrative tasks, and management monitoring staff – including timing how long it takes employees to change into work attire.”
“While Virtus continues to show complete disregard for these workers, their workload and stress only continue to increase because their employer can’t attract or retain staff due to the significant pay gap,” he added.
In addition to dealing with staffing challenges, medical administration workers in Hobart are left to shoulder some of the work of their counterparts at Melbourne IVF – despite earning much lower salaries.
Workers at TasIVF and Hobart Specialist Day Hospital do not take the decision to stop work lightly but are prepared to escalate action if management does not agree to a resolution that will ultimately benefit both staff and patients through improved working conditions and mainland pay parity.