The Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU) insists on a reasonable pay increase in order to end the work-to-rule ban in hospitals across Western Australia.

The union representing hospital cleaners and orderlies is seeking a $50 a week pay hike but have been offered only $19. LHMU Assistant Secretary Carolyn Smith said, “If the Government and the Health Department want this issue resolved, they need to sit down, they need to offer these workers a decent pay rise.”

Health Minister Kim Hames tried to calm down sentiments by saying, “We've never had this sort of problem before and so we'd be asking them just to back off and just do the normal negotiations because it's just not safe for patients to be waiting to get treatment.”

On Wednesday, the state government refused to settle the Hospital pay dispute even if wages are agreed upon. The West Australia government condition was to implement its privatization plans in hospitals.

LHMU secretary Dave Kelly said, “This demonstrates the government’s privatisation agenda in hospitals is much broader than they are admitting publicly.” Kelly expressed disbelief saying that “It is quite incredible that the State Government is saying that even if wages can be agreed there will be no deal unless members in effect agree to privatization of their own jobs.”

The secretary moved on to claim that “Hospital services were privatized by the previous Liberal state government and it impacted poorly on patient care and safety.”