HEALTH Minister Michael Ferguson has approved the public hospital doctors’ pay rise.
Mr Ferguson has signed off on the Tasmanian Industrial Commission decision on pay rises of between 6.5 per and 8 per cent and improved classifications for doctors.
“The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Tasmanian Industrial Commission,’’ Mr Ferguson said in Launceston this morning.
“We have responded to Commissioner Tim Abey and his findings and accept the key findings from the TIC on the wage structure and reclassifications.”
He said the doctors’ pay dispute “has been unresolved running sore” and the award payment was broadly in line with the Governement’s wage policy.
The Australian Medical Association Tasmania branch President Tim Greenaway said he would not be issuing a statement until members had approved the draft letter of response from Mr Ferguson.
Dr Greenaway said earlier this week doctors would have no choice but to consider industrial action if the Government did not accept Mr Abey’s decision.
Doctors have not had a pay rise since December 2011.
“We needed to make the award more competitive to allow Tasmania to attract and retain doctors without relying on unsustainable locum fees and special deals,” Dr Greenaway said.
Meanwhile, paramedics face an uphill battle to hang on to their 14 per cent pay rise awarded by the TIC in April 2014.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the state could not afford the rise and lodged an appeal through the Supreme Court against the pay ruling last year.