You are the Director, Human Resources, for Centaurus Health Care (CHC). CHC operates 72 private hospitals and other health care facilities within Australia. As Director HR, you are responsible for the recruitment and selection of all employees at the private hospitals run by CHC in Australia. The hospitals are located in capital cities and major regional centres throughout Australia.

All of the hospitals have obstetric facilities, including maternity and neo-natal wards. There is a skills shortage in some locations for appropriately qualified midwives making it difficult to adequately staff obstetric services.

All of the hospitals have their own in-house catering facilities. The bulk of employees who work in the catering facilities are employed on a part-time ongoing basis and are not required to have any formal qualifications to carry out their work. There is no shortage of candidates for these positions.

You are also responsible for contractual arrangements with a labour hire firm, Twist Remedies (TR), for the provision of grounds and landscaping services for all of the hospitals. The significant majority of TR's employees are employed on a casual basis and hold few, if any, formal qualifications. In addition to TR's contractual arrangements to provide grounds and landscaping services to CHC, TR also provides contract labour for other horticultural purposes, including fruit picking.

Question 1

As Director, Human Resources, CHC, explain the implications of the level of supply and demand in the labour market in the recruitment and retention of:

(a) Midwives; and

(b) The part-time catering employees referred to above.

Question 2

You are a midwife who is considering taking up a position in one of CHC's hospitals. You have a choice between a posi- tion located in an area in which there is a shortage of midwives and one in which there is an adequate supply. What are the likely consequences of the level of supply and demand for you as a prospective employee in the different locations?

Question 3

You are a union official for the union that has coverage of the majority of TR's employees. Explain the key arguments that support regulatory intervention in the setting of wages and other terms and conditions of employment for TR's employees.