Media Statement For Immediate Release

Thursday, 25 July 2013

“Hospital specialists make submission on Proposed adversarial Employment law changes”

“Hospital specialists have made a submission to Parliament on proposed adversarial employment law changes,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.  Mr Powell was referring to the Association’s submission to the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee considering the Employment Relations Amendment Bill.”

“The Employment Relations Act focuses on the quality of the employment relationship between employers and employees and also the potential vulnerability of employees.  This is a big plus for public hospitals.  But the government’s amendments seek to change this in a retrograde way by incentivising adversarial behaviour by employers.”

“We have major concerns in three particular areas – removal of the obligation to conclude negotiations; allowing employers to opt out of a multi-employer collective agreement, and removal of protections for new appointees.”

“These changes would be a great leap backwards in public hospitals which are highly integrated and depend on being able to function in a cooperative and collaborative manner.”

“Introducing incentives for adversarial conduct by senior management would be both disruptive and threatening,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A S M S

ENDS

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