Thousands of people working in Dorevitch Pathology collection centres across Victoria have won a decade-long battle for a fair pay rise.
The workers handling vital sample collections for life-saving diagnostics were awarded a pay rise of up to 20 percent with an increase of up to 30 percent on allowances, backpaid to July last year.
Prior to the decision many of the workers had not had a meaningful increase to their pay in more than a decade, effectively being forced to pay 2018 prices with 2007 pay packets.
After Dorevitch management locked out workers during a heavy flu season, delaying diagnostic testing, the Fair Work Commission terminated the action out of concern for community welfare.
Today the Commission decided in favour of the workers, delivering justice long after it was due.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Michele O’Neil:
“Today’s decision is a long-awaited victory for Health Workers Union members at Dorevitch who have been forced to wait far too long for a pay rise that keeps pace with the cost of living.
“The fact that a company can simply refuse to meaningfully raise wages for more than a decade under our broken rules is disgraceful.
“People who work at Dorevitch collection centres have been struggling to keep on top of the cost of living, trying to pay 2018 bills with 2007 pay packets.
“I congratulate every one of them on standing firm and fighting for justice.
“The Dorevitch workers’ struggle shows that we need to change the rules so that people can get fair pay rises that let them stay on top of the cost of living.”
