ASMOF unconditionally rejects the comments made by Prof Dietz and apologises for the hurt they have caused to our members and the community more broadly. The views he expressed are totally unacceptable and do not reflect the views of ASMOF.
When Prof Dietz sent the email to ASMOF’s Council last year, he was immediately cautioned by the Union’s President and other State Councillors, and a motion rejecting these views was passed unanimously by our governing body - the State Council. You can read the full motion here, which includes a call for a culture of respect, equity and fairness amongst our leadership and acknowledges that promoting this culture is an ongoing project.
ASMOF has a proud record of fighting sexism in the workplace. We are all too aware that women in medicine continue to experience gender-based discrimination and we provide support and representation to our members in addressing discrimination and gaining fair access to their entitlements. In the last year alone, we have successfully supported 166 members with parental leave matters.
We are also fighting for systemic improvements to employment conditions which promote gender equity, and we have recently won improved access to parental leave for doctors-in-training in NSW. Modern and flexible training and employment positions which accommodate work and caring responsibilities must be available to attract and retain our highly skilled medical workforce.
Where an individual’s actions cause damage, the interest of our members need to be put first. We are a democratic and member-run Union and we take the views of our members seriously.
Following the recent leaks of the email from an unknown source, we have heard loud and clear from our members that they want further action to be taken. We are now seeking legal advice about what action we can take.
These are important conversations to have and we encourage our members to continue sharing their views with us directly on this matter by contacting our Executive Director Andrew Holland at [email protected].