Dorevitch Pathology workers at six Ballarat collection sites who went on strike in August last year are among more than 600 across the country to win a 20 per cent pay rise and other benefits.
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The win at the Fair Work Commission comes after staff in Ballarat and other centres were included in a lockout notice issued by Dorevitch last year after they voted to take protected industrial action under the Fair Work Act.
The strike action and lockout followed a protracted pay dispute, with staff claiming they have not received a pay rise since 2007.
After intervention in the dispute from the Victorian government over concerns about the threat of ongoing action to community welfare, the Fair Work Commission ordered an end the industrial action in August 2017.
Last week, the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission awarded workers a 20 per cent pay rise, up to 30 per cent increase on allowances, and back pay to July 2017.
RELATED STORY: Pathology staff locked out, take strike action
“This result is long overdue. The Dorevitch workplace agreement expired over 11 years ago. Our members have effectively been living with a 2007 level of income to pay 2018 costs. They’ve been left behind,” said Health Workers Union secretary Diana Asmar.
“Our members were forced to strike after waiting over a decade for a real pay rise. In response, Dorevitch locked out 89 frontline health workers – many single mums and middle aged women earning a little over $20 an hour, all because they dared to stand up for believing that they were worth more.”
During last year’s industrial action, Dorevitch Pathology chief executive Neville Moller left the company.
“This pay rise is a far cry from the zero per cent that was offered after a year of fruitless negotiations,” Ms Asmar said.
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