Claims ongoing dispute turns ugly

The claim comes as staff return to work, with Dorevitch’s chief executive Neville Moller given until noon on Friday to agree to come to the table with a ‘reasonable pay offer’. 

Wodonga Dorevitch phlebotomist Melissa McDonald said the striking workers in Melbourne had claimed they were subject to abuse.

She said comments had also been made about union workers locally. 

Miss McDonald said staff were disputing a zero per cent pay rise in 10 years.

“Mind you each year as our wages stay stagnant they hand out thousands of dollars in bonuses to management,” she said.

Last Monday, 66 Dorevitch Victorian staff were locked out of the business, with an additional 10 locked out on Tuesday after a staff walk out and 13 on Wednesday.

The Health Workers Union urged employees to join the stop-work action, but non-union members continued to work.

Miss McDonald said many of the region’s 30 Dorevitch collection points were closed during the industrial action. 

She said staff were upset they weren’t there for patients.

“We work for our patients and it kills us to not be out there helping them, but we deserve better,” she said.

“We work for $21 per hour, we are the lowest paid out of all the pathology companies, for a company that makes $1.2 billion profit.

“We deserve a better pay rate, we deserve a fair bloody go, we deserve better working conditions.”

Miss McDonald said staff had returned to work but further strike action would occur if the union’s demands weren’t met by Friday. 

“We are heading into the second week of fighting for a pay increase and are encouraging people to take your pathology slips to other companies,” she said.

Dorevitch Pathology were contacted for comment.