Hundreds of public allied health workers, including pharmacists and radiographers, will begin rolling work stoppages next week, after union representatives and the government failed to reach agreement over salary negotiations held this week.
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Robbie Moore, industrial manager at the Health and Community Services Union, said allied health personnel employed by the Tasmanian Health Service in the Royal Hobart Hospital would stage a stop-work meeting on February 23.
Staff employed at the Launceston General Hospital will walk off the job for a meeting on February 28, while staff at the North-West Regional Hospital will stop work the following Wednesday.
"The government has failed to negotiate in good faith with allied health professionals and put an offer on the table that puts competitive wages and conditions in line with their mainland counterparts," Mr Moore said.
The lower pay of allied workers in comparison to mainland colleagues was contributing to the staff shortages in public hospitals across the state, he said.
"We have seen a dire situation on the North-West coast, where radiation therapist services are no longer being provided because the machine is not operating simply because they cannot get the radiation therapists to operate it," he said.
A government spokesperson said the decision to escalate to industrial action was "disappointing and unnecessary".
"We will continue to work with the union in good faith to resolve outstanding matters."
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