HACSU

Background

The Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) is the largest Registered Organisation in
Tasmania. HACSU represents over 8000 members across a range of sectors in Tasmania and
approximately 1000 of our members are employed in public health in the North West region,
primarily for the Tasmanian Health Service. We have approximately another 1000 members in the
North West region employed in aged care, disability and community services, diagnostic services
and private health.

Our members were at the forefront of the operational response to the pandemic and remain
working in sectors that are at high risk in the event of a virus outbreak like the one which occurred in
April and is the subject of this review.

The issues laid out in this submission are either known or have been reported to HACSU by
members working in the relevant areas of the health service during the outbreak.

We remain committed to working with stakeholders to ensure any deficiencies that are identified
relating to the preparedness or the response to the outbreak are remedied to limit the same issues
occurring or influencing any future response. Except for any identified instances of malfeasance,
negligence or misconduct we hold no interest in blaming individuals or organisations.

Issues raised with HACSU relating to the response

1. The public health emergency was declared by the Tasmanian Government on 17 March 2020
and the outbreak commenced on or about 3 April 2020. The review must examine the extent
of compliance with directions of the Chief Health Officer within the Tasmanian Health Service
between the declaration and the outbreak. This includes but is not limited to: workers
gathering in confined spaces, continuation of normal infection control practices, identification
of possible COVID-19 contacts, worker mobility between facilities and between separate
units within facilities.

2. The consistency of the change in Management from normal establishment to the Incident
Management Team at the commencement of the outbreak. This issue relates to reports to
HACSU from members employed in the Tasmanian Health Service that there was inconsistent
and confusing direction and advice being provided as to where the decision making power
laid and who was directing operational matters as they arose.

3. The consistency and knowledge of any outbreak management plan.

4. The transfer of suspected or possible COVID-19 positive patients from the North West
Regional Hospital to other facilitates, particularly the Mersey Community Hospital.

5. The consistency of advice provided to employees at the time the decision was made to cease
services at the North West Regional Hospital.

6. The extent to which the inability to access paid leave may have influenced health workers’
decisions to attend work when they were displaying cold and flu like symptoms.

7. The extent to which insecure employment practices influenced workers decisions to ignore
directions relating to working between facilities, presenting to work whilst symptomatic and
agreeing to accept additional work that was inconsistent with Public Health advice.
For the avoidance of doubt insecure employment practices include: casual employees with
multiple positions, regular and systematic work being classified as casual employment, fixed
term contracts used for convenience (lack or permanent budgets), part time employees on
low hours contracts or multiple low hour contracts for different business units or different
employers.

8. The effect of the lack of protection for workers to speak out and give honest and frank
information as to what was occurring during the outbreak. HACSU was required to support
members during the outbreak who were being questioned by their employer as to why they
were raising legitimate concerns with third party stakeholders.

9. The extent to which the employer has attempted to provide any additional support or
the implementation of any program to assist workers with the additional emotional and
psychological stress the outbreak has caused.