Strike to disrupt hospital services

nursebedlam · Jul 20, 2004

Tuesday, July 20, 2004.

New South Wales public hospitals are facing major disruption to their X-ray services today because of a 24-hour strike by members of the Health Services Union.

The action affecting non-urgent cases is part of a campaign for a new award.

The Health Services Union is seeking an immediate 12 per cent pay increase for radiographers and nuclear medicine technologists.

It says members are also unhappy about extra pressure placed on them by staff shortages, caused by a drift to more lucrative jobs in the private sector and overseas.

The union's Natalie Bradbury says the strike will affect X-ray, cat scan, MRI and other nuclear medicine services in public hospitals, although a skeleton staff will be on hand.

"People will know that routine work will have been cancelled so staff that are working will be attending to emergency cases only," she said.

The strikers will consider further industrial action at a mass meeting in Sydney later this morning.

A Health Department spokeswoman expressed hope for a speedy resolution to the dispute.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200407/s1157499.htm