By Fatima Halloum
U-Vet veterinary nurse Merissa Grovers says it feels like a kick in the guts to drive to work each day, knowing it’s the last week she’ll spend at the hospital she’s worked at for the last six years.
Melbourne University announced on December 24, that it will cease operating Werribee U-Vet animal hospital, and will lease the site to the Greencross Pet Wellness Company, who plan to establish a veterinary general practice clinic and a 24-hour specialist and emergency hospital from early next year.
However it is unclear whether all current staff members will be retained when the hospital re-opens January 16.
“Not to have a job, and then come to work and pack up your whole hospital, it’s really hard, it doesn’t feel real,” she said.
“None of us really know what do .. .there is no where else for us to go.
“There’s so many of us, and we’re just going to have fight each other for jobs, it’s just been a really awful time.”
Ms Grovers said the university’s lack of commitment to protecting jobs for staff leaves her feeling disposable.
“Securing jobs should have been a priority, especially during Christmas time, it’s just devastating,” she said.
A spokesperson for the University of Melbourne said the university thanks all staff members at U-Vet for their ongoing commitment, care and professionalism towards their patients and broader community.
This decision is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedication of U-Vet staff, the spokesperson said.
While U-Vet staff are expected to be paid over the Christmas break, Greencross confirmed staff from within its network will redeployed when the hospital returns to being operational.
“This will be an interim operating structure while we get up and running at the site. We aim to review our structure and assess our longer-term staffing needs at around the two–three-month mark, following which we expect to progress to the recruitment of key positions,” a spokesperson for Greencross said.
“We will advertise all available positions as and when opportunities arise.”
