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Doctors begin hospital negotiations
Victorian hospital doctors have begun preparing for upcoming negotiations on pay and working conditions, with a meeting of more than 100 junior doctors held at AMA Victoria this week.
Doctors who attended the meeting were angry about poor compliance by public hospitals in respect to their entitled working conditions and overtime payments under the Hospital Medical Officers’ Agreement 1999.
AMA Victoria Vice-President and surgeon-in-training, Chris Merry, said non-payment for overtime was a major problem and some hospitals preyed upon junior doctors’ goodwill, pressuring them to work well beyond their rostered hours.
"Every hospital doctor has worked extra long hours for no recognition. This is understandable every now and again, but when it happens every week doctors have to make a stand and point out their rights. Junior doctors working in public hospitals are there to serve the community and benefit from the expertise and knowledge of senior doctors. The least the hospitals can do is deliver the conditions they’ve promised," Dr Merry said.
"AMA Victoria stresses the need to abide by agreements as one way of retaining quality doctors in the Victorian hospital system. This government has gone some way to healing the cuts to the system incurred through the 1990s, however, to ensure doctors don’t start leaving the system, hospitals need to keep their end of the bargain and deliver all of the negotiated conditions.
"Issues of overwork are also pertinent. The AMA has worked hard to ensure hospitals take heed of its Safe Hours National Code, which outlines acceptable working hours and breaks for junior doctors. It is essential that this code is followed to ensure the safety of patients, and doctors.
"We will be doing everything possible to resolve this matter through discussions before even considering a resort to more direct industrial action."
Doctors working as public hospital employees are covered by AMA Victoria negotiated agreement which covers all public hospitals in the state and expires in June this year.
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