Changes anger health workers

Press, 8 March 1988, Page 3

Changes anger health workers

Proposed changes to the State Sector Bill have angered health workers.

The national co-ordina-tor of the Combined Health, Employees Committee; (C.H.E.C.), Mr Malcolm Mac Lean, said yesterday that workers were now faced with an even more uncertain future.

"Asif it isn’t enough that the bill pre-empts five other major reviews affecting health services, now we are! told that the parts of the bill affecting us will be; totally rewritten.” ! | ■

The entire legal basis of the health system could change by! the end of March, said Mr Mac Lean. “Three weeks does not allow enough, time for Parliament (to decide on changes, let alone have effective consultation with health workers.”

- The select committee had highlighted a number of areas in the bill that needed to be changed, he said. (( ! '

“In the health area we haye ( seven vague statements with; wide-reaching effects. The bill was introduced without consultation and it will be rewritten in the next few days. This i makes the entire select committee process meaningless.”

When C.H.E.C. met the select committee yesterday,) the! Government members! ( would > not answer any specific 1 questions 1 , saying that changes had (not been drafted yet, said jMr Mac Lean.

C.H.E.C. (wanted the bill withdrawn( to allow effective I ■ negotiations with unions, 1 said Mr Mac Lean.