Doctors walk off the job for first time in 20 years as Victoria risks losing its best

For the first time in 20 years, doctors at some of the Victoria’s biggest and busiest public hospitals walked off the job, as a leading Australian economist warns the state risks losing its best doctors if the dispute over pay and conditions isn’t resolved soon.

Doctors stopped work at nine major health services in Melbourne on Thursday afternoon after 12 months of failed negotiations with the Victorian Government.

They’re seeking a 30 per cent pay increase over four years, along with a number of other improvements, including fair remuneration for out-of-hours work, more flexible access to annual leave and paid parental leave in line with other public service sectors.

The Australia Institute’s co-CEO Dr Richard Denniss said there was no “right” amount to pay doctors, and it was entirely up to the State how much value it placed on having the best healthcare system.

“What we know is the people who pay the most get first choice,” he told 3AW Mornings host Tom Elliott.

“And if Victoria doesn’t want to pay high wages for teachers and nurses and doctors, it will miss out. And that’s a choice.”

The Australian Medical Association (AMA)’s Victorian branch president Dr Simon Judkins said the decision to stop work had not been made lightly but doctors need a “genuine offer” and willingness to address the issues raised with the state.

“Too many public hospital doctors are exhausted and burnt out,” he said.

“They are working significant additional hours without fair remuneration. The workforce is under enormous stress.”

The union said its members were also asking for a simpler process for doctors in training to claim unrostered overtime, realistic access to continuing medical education and sabbatical leave for rural and regional doctors

“Can we afford it here in Victoria?” asked 3AW host Tom Elliot.

“I mean, debt is rampaging away. Can we afford to give public servants like these a pay rise?”

The state’s budget woes have captured headlines in recent years for being the most indebted state in the world.

However, Dr Denniss said budgets were all about choices.

“While it’s true that debt has risen in Victoria, Victoria’s public sector assets have actually grown far faster. The net assets of Victoria are up about $40 billion over the last 10 years,” he said.

“We hear we have to pay football players a lot or we won’t get the best football players. We hear that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

“It’s entirely up to Victoria whether it wants to see its best teachers, its best nurses and its best doctors stay there or go to other states. That’s just how it works.”

The stop work action was planned for the week before last, however it was postponed at the eleventh-hour due to a legal threat by the Carroll government.

“With just two days to go, the Government has deployed its legal resources to scrutinise our notice and raise a technical objection to the action,” said Grant Forsyth, the Director of Workplace Relations at AMA Victoria.

While negotiations have been bubbling away over the past 12 months, Dr Denniss said it wasn’t an accident that the action was ramping up in the lead up to the state’s November election.

“No, of course it’s not a coincidence,” he said.

“It’s a negotiation on behalf of those workers trying to get a higher wage.

“You either negotiate publicly with the government for a higher wage or you quit privately and you go take a higher paid job doing something else.

“These are just hard choices we have to make.”

He said parties should be honest and tell voters where they stand on the issue.

“It’d be interesting to see if the opposition comes out and says, ‘Don’t give them a pay rise. We can’t afford it,’” he said.

“They’re the kind of honest statements we need from governments ahead of election.

“We should hear from the government. We should hear from the opposition. Whose side are you on? Because you’re spot on. Victoria can save a lot of money by not giving nurses or teachers a pay rise. You can save a lot of money, but you’ll lose a of doctors, teachers and nurses.”