News Flash

PSA members who are paying new or increased car parking rates or have been threatened with fines for not complying with new car parking arrangements at metropolitan hospitals have won a reprieve, following the PSA's successful application for an injunction in the Industrial Relations Court this morning.

The Industrial Relation Court this morning agreed to the PSA application for an injunction against the introduction of car parking fees at metropolitan hospitals, arguing the existing conditions protected by the Enterprise Agreement which came into effect on 14 January 2010 were being breached and that members were suffering immediate harm by being required to pay, or pay more.

The Full Industrial Court is expected to now hear the full case on 10 October 2011.

In the meantime, hospitals are now prevented from continuing with the new charge arrangements.

The Court decision effectively means the hospital car parking policy cannot operate pending the Full Court hearing the matter.

The practical effect of this is that those members who were not paying fees and were being charged new fees should now not be required to pay. Where members were previously paying a fee which has been increased, the increase should now not apply.

As the PSA initiated these Court proceedings on behalf of PSA members covered by the Parity Agreement, the injunction technically only applies to those people covered by the Parity Agreement.

It will be up to the Department of Health to now determine what it may do in respect to persons not covered by the Parity Agreement.

23 September 2011