Labour Court recommends 12-month trial for Mater Private Hospital public-holiday staffing

In 1993, the Labour Court recommended a 12-month trial arrangement for pantry assistants working public holidays at Mater Private Hospital. The recommendation, dated 20 July 1993, provided for one assistant on bank holidays subject to a 9:1 ratio. The recommendation allowed spare assistants to be moved and rosters to be changed if needed. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union and the hospital were to assess the arrangement’s impact after 12 months, particularly any loss of earnings. The hospital said the existing arrangements were uneconomic and difficult to administer; the union warned that reduced staffing could cut earnings.