Tensions between Launceston aged care workers and their employer Southern Cross Care Tasmania peaked on Wednesday after staff staged a walkout over working condition disputes.
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Workers at the SCCT Mount Esk aged care home walked off the job and held a "stop the work meeting" claiming SCCT had refused to withdraw threats to cut workers' conditions, including a paid meal break.
Health and Community Services Union industrial manager Robbie Moore said the workers felt they had no choice but to walk off the job after negotiations between the two parties stalled.
"We haven't heard from Southern Cross care apart from briefly last night for over four weeks and all they wanted to talk to us about last night was access to the worksite," he said.
"What we need for them to do is to agree to negotiate in good faith and to agree that they won't be reducing the current conditions of staff."
According to Mr Moore, the point of contention between the workers and their employer was a change that would see employers lose remuneration during their lunch breaks.
"They're trying to cut their wages, lose up to $3,000 a year by taking away paid meal breaks," he said.
"This is an entitlement that aged care workers across Tasmania have had for over 50 years, because they are needed to respond to call bells to respond when there's a fall or a serious incident during their break.
"They come to the floor and they assist residents, if they lose this entitlement residents will be put at risk and that's why staff have walked off the job today for the safety of their own residents."
SCCT chief executive Robyn Boyd disputed the assertion that the company had stopped negotiating.
"We were still bargaining in good faith," she said. "We haven't stopped that process regardless of the suggestion we have, we are still committed to negotiating a fair deal for all including our staff and Southern Cross Care.
Ms Boyd said only a fraction of staff had joined the industrial action and explained the company paid its workers above the award wage set by the commonwealth.
"We pay our staff above the modern award and it's not only in hourly rates, but it's also in other incentives and conditions and there's lots of them," she said.
Ms Boyd did not indicate if a decision on meal breaks had been made by the company, advising negotiations were still underway.
Mr Moore said HACSU would expand its action, including a stop the work meeting in Hobart on Friday, with other actions expected over the coming weeks.
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