Dental costs will increase under new award - ADA

The Federal Government's insistence on creating uniform minimum employment standards across the health industry will push up dental costs and reduce surgery opening hours, the ADA told the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) yesterday.

The Association told the AIRC in Sydney that simplifying employment standards is also at odds with a Labor plan for improving oral health.

Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard has set a strict timetable for hundreds of awards that set minimum conditions across industry to be vastly simplified by January.

But ADA wants the dental profession to continue under separate conditions. Barrister Arthur Moses SC, for ADA, told the AIRC that private dental practice was an identifiable, distinct industry sector with a job classification structure, rates of pay, penalty rates and allowances. Click here for access to his submission to the AIRC.

Mr Moses said the proposed minimum adult wage of $637 a week for dental assistants entering the industry at level four was significantly higher - with the exception of Queensland - than the existing rate. He said proposed penalty rates for Saturday also exceeded the current rate applying around Australia, except for in Queensland.A number of allowances proposed under the new award also do not currently apply for the dental industry.

According to the ADA, the Health and Hospitals Reform Commission believes the cost of dental care has already created problems for disadvantaged people gaining access to care. The establishment of more expensive Award provisions therefore conflicts with efforts to reduce the cost of delivering dental care.

Ms Gillard is committed to a simpler award system and is showing no signs at this stage of allowing exemptions.