Health Services Union
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| Health Services Union | |
| Founded | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Members | 70,000 |
| Country | Australia |
| Affiliation | ACTU |
| Key people | Craig Thomson, national secretary |
| Office location | Carlton, Victoria |
| Website | www.hsu.net.au |
The Health Services Union (HSU) is a specialist health union with over 70,000 members working in all areas of healthcare across the country.
The membership of the union includes doctors, nurses and allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and radiographers, ambulance officers, clerical and administrative staff, managers and support staff. Due to Australia's industrial relations system HSU coverage in Queensland only extends as far as health workers servicing Aboriginal health. The Australian Workers Union (AWU) in particular, but also the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) primarily represent the positions the HSU would represent in Queensland.
The national office of the Health Services Union of Australia is located in Carlton in Melbourne. It's current national secretary is Craig Thomson.
[edit] Branch structure
The HSU contains multiple branches in many states. This is fairly unique in Australian trade unions. Branches are sub-divided by occupation. For example, the Victorian Psychologists Association Inc is an organisation covering registered Psychologists in Victoria. The association negotiates terms and conditions of employment for employee psychologists. It along with the Medical Scientists Association of Victoria and the Association of Hospital Pharmacists are component Associations of the Health Services Union of Australia HSUA Victoria No.4 Branch.
- HSU National Office
- HSU New South Wales Branch
- HSU Queensland Branch
- HSU South Australia Branch
- HSU Tasmania Branch
- HSU Victorian Branches
- No 1 Branch
- No 2 Branch
- No 3 Branch
- No 4 Branch: Medical Scientists Association of Victoria
- No 5 Branch
- HSU Western Australia
[edit] History
The union officially came into existence in 1991 with the amalgamation of two existing unions. But its origins date back much further than that to the early years of the century when organisations of hospital employees were first formed in Australia.
Over the years the membership of the unions that eventually came together to form the HSUA has been based around a nucleus of hospital staff and psychiatric care staff. But it has gone much further to include ambulance, aged care, community health, disability sector, hospital scientists, mental health and drug and alcohol workers.
