INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE: Workers locked out of their workplace protest in Bourbong Street. Photo: Mike Knott / NewsMailMike Knott
THIRTEEN locked-out Medical Director employees have spent another day protesting outside their workplace after their employer postponed a meeting with union representatives.
The meeting forms part of an ongoing industrial dispute between the company that supplies patient record software to general practitioners and its employees over wages and conditions.
The disgruntled employees had organised to protest outside their workplace on April 20 but when the employer found out, it locked its workers out.
That was almost three weeks ago and the dispute is ongoing after a formal meeting on April 23 failed to resolve the matter.
Medical Director confirmed it would go ahead with the meeting.
“We’re committed to resolving the remaining issues quickly, keeping to our promise of meeting on Wednesday in hopes the industrial action can be lifted,” the spokesman said.
But Australia Services Union Bundaberg organiser Donna Webster said the company was playing around with its workers.
Ms Webster said the offer fell far short of what the workers were entitled to.
“We’re still not in agreement,” she said.
One part of the dispute involves the award the workers should be paid under.
Ms Webster said the workers are IT technicians and should be paid accordingly.
Medical Director believes the workers are clerical staff.
“Our position on the appropriate award remains based on the advice we’ve received from external parties including the Fair Work Ombudsman,” a Medical Director spokesman said.
But even then Ms Webster said what Medical Director was offering to pay the workers was well below the clerical award.
“The employer is, on minimum award rates, probably $10,000 short a year,” Ms Webster said.
When the workers were locked out of their workplace, their pay also ceased.
Last week, Ms Webster said the employer began to back-pay the locked out workers.
“They paid them a little bit of money last week, which is thanks we’ll take whatever we can get because this is the third week that the workers will be without pay,” she said.
“And it’s getting really tough for them quite clearly.”
Ms Webster said Medical Director was still refusing to let the workers return to work until they agreed to “the employer’s terms”.