State’s hospital doctors to take first industrial action in almost 25 years

Listen to us or risk watching experienced doctors walk out the door, the Victorian AMA has warned the government.

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Victorian public hospital doctors are set to start a campaign of industrial action after more than 2100 doctors voted to apply for protected – or legal – industrial action at a meeting of the AMA Victoria and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation on Monday night.

AMA Victoria said 99% of members endorsed support for industrial action, voting to file a protected action order with the Fair Work Commission.

“The doctors voted to proceed with the administrative steps required for protected industrial action,” an AMA spokesperson told HSD.

The protected action order will be filed with the Fair Work Commission this week, the spokesperson said.

At Monday night’s meeting, members discussed potential escalating action that will be rolled out over three stages: public campaigning and disruptions to administrative processes; bans on unscheduled overtime; and strikes and work stoppages – as long as patient safety is not affected.

AMA Victoria president Dr Simon Judkins said the government “needs to understand that this is a pivotal point”.

“We have seen data that public hospitals docs are working under very stressful conditions, levels [of] stress and moral injury are high,” he told HSD.

“The risks of losing experienced and skilled [clinicians] who keep our hospitals running is significant.

“We need … our docs to be able to do … what they are trained to do … providing level, complex care across the state. There are huge cracks opening, particularly in regional and rural areas.

“Relying on investing in virtual care isn’t the silver bullet the government seems to think it is; we docs on the ground, providing safe, hands-on-care to patients and communities.

“This is ultimately a patient-safety EBA [enterprise bargaining agreement].

“We need safe staffing, safe work conditions, fair remuneration (there is still so much care we provide that is not remunerated) to ensure our hospitals continue to be world-class.”

Under the Fair Work Act 2009, the Fair Work Commission must deal with an application for a protected action ballot order within two working days, starting the day after lodgement. 

If industrial action takes place, it will be Victorian doctors’ first major industrial action in almost 25 years since a stop-work meeting at AMA headquarters in 2002.

In February, AMA Victoria and ASMOF Victoria lodged an initial log of claims with the Victorian government, asking for a 30% pay rise over four years, a ban on consecutive shifts of more than 12.5 hours, better access to overtime, and parental leave entitlements in line with the public sector.

Writing on LinkedIn, Dr Judkins said the Victorian public hospital doctors had “agreed that enough is enough”.

“The lack of leadership and engagement from the government has been incredibly disappointing,” he wrote yesterday.

“At no stage have they made any effort to provide an offer to progress the employment agreements.

“Our members … doctors who staff your local ED, ICU, paediatric service … who are there 24/7/365 … just want to get this done and keep doing the work they are committed to.

“BUT, it’s time to recognise the unpaid hours, the overtime, the work conditions and provide a fair solution to the issues we have raised, so we can continue to keep our patients safe … We are waiting … but we are escalating.”

Dr Judkins said they would not compromise patient safety.

“But it gets to a point where enough is enough … We’re going to have to draw a line in the sand [by taking some form of protected action],” he told Nine Entertainment newspapers.

“Hopefully, the public will be on board to support what we’re trying to achieve.

“Ultimately, this boils down to making sure that we’ve got the right people in the right place with the right supports.”

Dr Judkins said the government had accepted AMA Victoria’s push for a system to  make it easier to apply and receive overtime pay but had later rejected it.

“They’ve literally told us … that’s going to be too expensive, so they can’t afford to do it,” he said.

“Demands are increasing. There are a lot of people who are doing a lot of work without getting remunerated for it.

“This is not just about money. It is about working conditions to make sure that doctors can be the best that they can be, and they’re not exhausted and burnt out.”