Health Workers have suffered through a decade of pay stagnation, out of date Awards and understaffing, with 12,000 current health vacancies. In Allied Health, this crisis is particularly acute - patient backlogs are piling up, staff are leaving to go interstate or to private practice, and the public Allied Health workforce is being hollowed out.

We all want to serve our community but with overwork, lack of career progression and burnout rampant, there’s no more left in the tank. This can’t continue.

The NSW Government was elected on a platform of change. But all we’re seeing is more of the same.

This is a government that has trashed the promises it made to health workers. The wages cap is still in place, preventing desperately needed Award reform, while workers are still forking out half of their personal tax savings through salary packaging.

Now, the government have leaked an offer of 3.5% pay increase with no Award reform.

HSU members have spoken to reject this offer and endorse a Big Wednesday of action on 31 May.

Allied Health members will be joining 25,000 other members in acting to send this Government a message.

The HSU member-led Allied Health Committees, the Psychology Committee, and Aboriginal Health Worker Committee have endorsed actions for HSU members in these professions to take:

1. Allied Health staff will not be recording statistics of Patient Activity Data for the entirety of Wednesday 31 May. The exact process may vary according to your profession, LHD and Department. HSU members are directed to not complete activity according to your processes. Examples include:
   a.     Not recording activity stats via Service Contact Forms.
   b.     Not completing patient activity stats via MHOAT system.
   c.     Not completing using the “ad hoc charting” function in Cerner Power chart or FirstNet to record usual statistics regarding occasions of service and time spent on individual patient care.
   d.     Any other system for recording patient activity data your local area uses.
2. Allied Health staff will be placing an out of office template reply on with the below wording:
   
   I am currently taking part in HSU authorised Industrial Action because the Government refuses to meet the key demands of staff to offer a fair pay offer, negotiate new Awards and stop stealing members salary packaging.
   
   As part of the action, I will not be responding to emails today. I will be continuing clinical work and if you require assistance on a matter relating to urgent patient safety you can contact me here: [insert number].
   
   If you wish to participate in action to save public health, you can join the HSU here: www.hsu.asn.au/join

These actions are designed to ensure patient safety is not compromised at any stage. At this link is a flyer you can provide to members of the public to ensure they understand this.

Entitlement to take industrial action

It’s your right as an HSU member to participate in authorised industrial action, and it is illegal for any member to face victimisation for participating in trade union activities, including industrial action. Managers who target individual members may face Commission orders against them. If you have any concerns, please reach out for advice and support:

Phone: 1300 478 679
Email: [E-Mail not displayed]

Click this link for a flyer you can provide to your manager or colleague if they have any concerns about industrial action.

If the Ministry raises any concerns, they are entitled to take the HSU as an organisation to the Industrial Relations Commission to address those concerns. However, they cannot target individual workers participating in the action.

Remember, there is strength in numbers. While you may be one person in your profession, you are part of a collective of 25,000 individuals acting together to ensure we can continue serving our community effectively.

Non-members cannot take part in action.

Know someone who isn’t a member? It’s not too late to join to participate in this historic action. New members can join here: www.hsu.asn.au/join