We are a committee of HSU members and collectors, couriers, technicians and scientists in the private pathology industry. Our enterprise agreement negotiations with Laverty conclude soon. Here are some of the highlights from our campaign.

In December 2022, we organised our colleagues to reject Laverty’s subpar wages offer. We and the Private Health Division staff got together, made hundreds of calls and held hours of conversations. After this successful No Vote drive, Laverty came back to the table proposing an additional sign-on bonus. However, the members found the lack of substantial improvement to the proposed EBA, and particularly the wage increases, insulting. So, we resumed negotiations and organised an open letter action, writing to Laverty executives demanding a more respectful wage offer. They then came back with a new proposal, replacing the sign-on bonus with a more substantial wage increase.

These weren’t just negotiations. This was an organising drive led by us as Delegates and other, active members who realised the necessity of coordinated action.

What did we learn from our campaigning? First, we learned that employers generally don’t offer better pay and conditions out of their good nature. The wins we got between December and now were due to HSU members just like ourselves stepping up and joining the fight.

Second, we learned that while these wins are material and hard-fought, there is much more work to do. We’re already thinking years ahead. We want members to ensure that the conditions of the new agreement are enforced in their workplaces. Equally important, we want to continue striving for better pay, dignity, and safety.

To achieve this, we’ll need more delegates and activists who can join our collective efforts.

The Laverty HSU Bargaining Committee:

Alex Michaels, Relief Scientist, NSW

Gwenyth Crossman, Courier Team Leader, Central West NSW

Laura Benham, Home Visits Collector, Central Coast

Lyn Davidson, Phlebotomist, Sydney

Marie Creighton, Phlebotomist, Adamstown

Robyn Forsayth, Technical Officer, Taree