Tasmania’s public hospital doctors will consider court action if the Government proceeds with plans to freeze public service wages. The Tasmanian branch of the Australian Medical Association and the Health and Community Sector Union believe the freeze will kill off wage cases before the Tasmanian Industrial Commission and override the commission’s authority. AMA Tasmania president Tim Greenaway said the Government’s comment that it would have to implement a wage freeze or lose 500 public sector positions was “extremely provocative”. “If the Government decides to enact legislation to override the authority of the Industrial Commission, it will be highly detrimental to both doctors and the wider community and could result in industrial action,’’ Prof Greenaway said. HCSU state secretary Tim Jacobson said the Government announcement a week ago that it would introduce legislation designed to freeze wages was tantamount to blackmail. “They are blackmailing us to save jobs,” Mr Jacobson said. A government spokesman said it was inappropriate to comment on the doctors and paramedic cases with the matters pending. “No final decision has been made on implementing a wage pause,” the spokesman said. Prof Greenaway said doctors had had been extremely patient negotiating a wage rise over the past two and a half years had acted in good faith with the Government.