Dorevitch Pathology And Gippskland Pathology Lockout Scientists

Media Release

16 December 2009

Dorevitch Pathology & Gippsland Pathology Lockout Scientists
Application to Fair Work Australia for Cooling Off

Following the locking out of 22 individual scientists by Dorevitch Pathology and Gippsland Pathology, the Union has made an application under s 425 of the Fair Work Act to have the lockout suspended so that bargaining with the company can take place.

The application will be heard by Fair Work Australia tomorrow (Thursday).

The Union has been attempting to negotiate an agreement with the company for more than 18 months.

"The company has selected 22 out of more than 200 scientists who are members of the Union to lock out. This unconscionable action by the company will have a severe impact on the individual scientists" Dr Rosemary Kelly, Secretary of the Medical Scientists Association of Victoria said today.

"They have locked these 22 people out for seven weeks until 1 February 2010. The company is effectively holding these members as hostages in order to coerce the Union and its members into agreeing to a second rate deal. However, it is not working. Our members are now more united and determined than ever to achieve market rates of pay at Dorevitch and Gippsland Pathology. Clearly we cannot negotiate while our members are locked out".

"We have reached agreement with all the other major private pathology providers in Victoria to pay marker rates of pay for scientists.

"Apart from the company's refusal to pay fair wages, scientists are also angry that the quality of pathology services is being put at risk. Quality is already being compromised by understaffing and redundancies. Now management want to turn Dorevitch Pathology into a low wage ghetto, a far cry from the high quality, high wage services that it used to be" Dr Kelly said.

The Ballarat laboratory of Dorevitch Pathology services Ballarat Base Hospital. Two senior scientists at the hospital have been locked out by Dorevitch Pathology, and there are now no scientists in the histology department, which processes biopsies, which are used to detect cancer. The company has left an unqualified laboratory assistant as the only person in the department.

Similar impacts are being felt across Gippsland where Gippsland Pathology provides services to public hospitals. A number of senior scientists have been locked out including the manager of the Sale laboratory, which provides services to Sale public hospital.

Contact: Dr Rosemary Kelly 0418 543 683


SOURCE: Health Services Union