By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS: clucadou-wells@mmpgroup.com.au
TWO cancer patients claim they have been dismissed rather than eased back into work at their Dandenong South workplace.
Stephen Bonner and Lisa Milkovic said they were not given the option of lighter duties at the Priceline warehouse during two years of ongoing sick leave. Rather, they were sacked because they didn’t do their full jobs.
Mr Bonner, who had worked at the warehouse for 10 years, was diagnosed with renal cancer in 2007. After having a kidney removed, his managers allowed the inventory worker to return on reduced hours. His workload gradually increased until he resumed full-time work.
Since then, Australian Pharmaceutical Industries took over Priceline, and Mr Bonner’s cancer returned with a vengeance. In 2011 – six months after surgery to remove his colon, his spleen, part of his pancreas and a tumour on his remaining kidney – his request to resume on light duties was denied.
Mr Bonner said he could have initially worked four-hour shifts at least, and it would have been good for his health and well-being.
An email from operations manager Mark Sims in October 2011 stated: “In regards to Stephen Bonner, it is company policy that Stephen is not allowed to come back to work until he is fully fit. His job is still available once he is fully recovered.”
Late last year, Mr Bonner’s gall bladder was removed. Two months ago, Mr Bonner’s two-year income protection ended, and so did his employment. He now awaits a disability pension application.
“I don’t understand it when people are there for so long and are treated poorly,” he said. “I’m not fit to work now but 12 months ago I could have.”
Ms Milkovic, as reported in other media, was sacked after two years of treatment for breast cancer. Barred from talking to The Journal due to a contract with A Current Affair, Ms Milkovic posted a Facebook rebuttal of a letter sent to Australian Pharmaceutical Industries employees by people manager Stephen Arthurson.
In the post on the National Union of Workers’ website, Ms Milkovic said she sent Mr Sims a doctor’s letter declaring she could do ‘‘duties apart from above-shoulder work’’ .
‘‘I was injured at work at API seven years ago and have not been able to work in packing but have worked in inventory,” she wrote.
In February her request to be put on part-time desk duties to build up to full-time work was refused, she claims. On March 4, API sent her a letter of termination, stating she was medically cleared to pick up heavy boxes as part of packing duties.
Mr Arthurson, in his email to workers, said: “We remain genuinely concerned for her health and well-being.
‘‘Given that Lisa’s illness was not work-related, we were entitled to terminate her employment after three months but we felt it was not the right thing to do so in the circumstances. However, it has now been nearly two years since Lisa went on sick leave and we have been unable to confirm whether or not she is likely to be fit enough to return to work in any role in the foreseeable future.
‘‘If Lisa can return to work and has medical advice to confirm which duties she can undertake, either part-or full-time, we will be pleased to look at opportunities to re-employ her.’’
Mr Arthurson wouldn’t discuss Mr Bonner’s case.
National Union of Workers site organiser Dominic Melling said API ‘‘wasn’t breaking any laws but what they’re doing is morally wrong”.
“Workers are not feeling confident about reporting workplace injuries,” he said.
