Just three meetings consisting of a briefing on attempting to strip your conditions, not listening to your union, and deflecting your claims while removing other benefits isn’t genuine negotiation, so we’ve written to DSPL to say we don’t agree with their proposed agreement being sent to a vote.

We’ve had to go through it with a microscope as one altered word can change everything, such as the deletion of ‘not’ in a clause that takes the bulk billing items away from staff, you now pay the gap.

DSPL say they’ll provide an increase on 31 March 2022 as a gesture of good faith, but they can do this inside the agreement, which is what we asked for, so why aren’t they?

The last pay rise was a year ago so they should backdate any increases to then. We asked for a 3 year agreement, a year’s already gone, and Hobart’s 2021 CPI was 4.5%, what’ll it be by December 2022?

The fact that DSPL has in effect given you just a week to comprehend all these changes then vote should sound alarm bells. It may be the minimum required bylaw, but why the rush? We must stand together and refuse the erosion of your conditions, so talk with workmates about being part of the union. My chats with staff show everyone’s had enough and are ready to fight.

Employers usually make a better offer after a NO vote, but it can take the encouragement of state-wide industrial action. You risk little other than a delayed pay rise, but it’s already delayed anyway.

SONIC Healthcare made $1.3B net profit last financial year and will likely make even more this year so they don’t need to strip your conditions or ignore the key principle that no worker should be worse off - shift workers will be.

Once we’ve finished examining the latest draft, we’ll send a list of changes that will affect you. You get one vote, so study the offer carefully - once conditions are lost, they won’t return – vote NO because it’s an unfair offer and DSPL can do much better.