The repercussions of industrial action at WA hospitals are already being felt with the linen room at a Perth hospital grinding to a halt.
It is understood no dirty linen bags are leaving the hospital as they weigh more than 15kg, which is above the regulated weight staff are allowed to lift.
Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union secretary Dave Kelly said while hospitals usually had a few days of linen in reserve, it was vital soiled linen was cleaned within 48 hours or it was permanently ruined.
"The system has a couple of days slack in it, but it can't be left to back-up indefinitely or else they will run out of linen," Mr Kelly said.
"The regulation is 15kg per bag and above that they are not supposed to be manually handled and of course they regularly are.
"The linen has to be repacked so it weighs less than 15kg so it can get out to be cleaned."
The refusal to handle the linen bags comes as thousands of public hospital workers, including orderlies and cleaners, launched industrial action around the State. Their union says it is likely to also disrupt elective surgery for patients.
Up to 8000 support workers started their work-to-rule campaign from 6am in protest over a stalled wages claim with the Health Department.
They include cleaners, patient-care assistants, orderlies, catering staff, sterilisation technicians and stores workers.
The workers will strictly follow departmental health guidelines relating to cleaning, use of equipment and occupational health and safety measures.
The union said that while patients would not be put at risk by the action, it was likely to slow down services, affecting elective surgery and the State Government's target to admit or discharge emergency department patients within four hours.
Mr Kelly said the industrial action was in response to the department's pay offer of 8.25 per cent over three years, which amounted to an increase of 50¢ an hour, well below the increase workers were seeking.
He said low-paid workers were struggling to meet the costs of rising bills while senior Health Department officials recently received a significant pay increase.
Mr Kelly claimed hospital staff were currently pressured to cut corners to turn over rooms and areas quickly to meet the four-hour rule.
The action could see workers refuse to use shower stools which were damaged or rusty, staff whose clothes become soiled to insist on a clean uniform, and cleaning and sterilisation procedures becoming more strictly followed.
"No patients will be at risk and patient care will not be compromised, as they are merely following the guidelines that the Government itself has laid out," Mr Kelly said.
"These changes to the way our members work will impact on the four-hour rule as it will slow down services.
"The pressure that is currently put on our members to get the job done puts patients' lives at risk but they will now follow the guidelines to the letter of the law."
Late yesterday the Health Department said it was disappointed by the move, particularly because hospitals were busy at this time of the year.
"We would appeal to our support workers to make sure that patient care and safety is at the forefront of their minds and remains uppermost in any actions," a spokeswoman said.
"We are particularly disappointed given that this comes at a busy time of year."
Wage negotiations between the union and the department will continue this week.
Last week, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital was twice forced to go on code yellow, an alert system signalling internal disaster, because it was struggling to cope with the number of patients.
Ambulance ramping, when paramedics have to wait outside busy emergency departments until they can hand over patients, also has been running into hundreds of hours a week at Perth hospitals.

OMG ! 15kgs ,!!!!!!!!!!we cant pick up the washing!!!!!!!!!!!....... I hope there are no windsurfers working at our hospitals considering the Weight of Rig, Board and Clothing is around 25 kgs plus,
feeble little insects



My wife is a nurse and she has to regularly pick up and move patients who obviously are fat barst,,rds because they are much heavier than 15 kgs .
Maybe they could be cut into pieces so they are easier to move[}:)]

Cassa said...

BUT I WORK for it..

Depends how you define work.
Toil is probably the better adjective.

Cassa said...

I wonder who will be next to strike , winge , complain about the working conditions they have to put up with?

Nurses maybe?