The Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation (ASMOF) is an Australian trade union, affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions, that represents doctors who receive salaries.[2] In Australia doctors operate as self-employed tradespeople, or as salaried employees of clinics, hospitals, or other organisations; ASMOF represents the interests of salaried doctors as employees. ASMOF has a federated state-based structure, with state branches playing a major role in its operation; the state-based structure of the union is largely a function of Australian states being primarily responsible for health care regulation and funding.[3] ASMOF represents more than 15,000 doctors across Australia.
ASMOF affiliated with the ACTU in 1991.[4] ASMOF was the result of a long federation process operating between different state-based salaried doctors' associations. In the early 1980s these organisations formed the Australian Council of Salaried Medical Officers' Organisations, through which they sought better coordination of the interests of doctors as employees.
In Tasmania and the Northern Territory, the state/territorial branches of ASMOF are operated subordinate to the relevant state branch of the Australian Medical Association.
The New South Wales state branch, which has been in existence since 1972, was known as the Public Medical Officers' Association prior to 1991.
^"ASMOF- the Doctors' Union". Federal Executive. Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation. Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia. n.d. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021. The Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation is the Australian trade union representing salaried doctors.
^Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2018). "2.1 How does Australia's health system work?"(PDF). Australia's health 2018(PDF). Vol. 16. Bruce, Australian Capital Territory, Australia: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (published 20 June 2018). pp. 42–43. doi:10.25816/5ec1e56f25480. ISBN978-1-76054-319-8. ISSN1032-6138. AUS 221. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021. p. 43: State and territory governments are responsible for funding and managing public hospitals, regulating and licensing private hospitals, providing oversight of local health networks, delivering public community-based and primary health services, delivering preventive services such as cancer screening and immunisation programs, ambulance services and health complaints services.
^"Decisions of ACTU Executive, Melbourne, May 1991: Matters for information"(RTF). Australian Council of Trade Unions. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 1991. p. 9. Retrieved 5 December 2021. That the application for affiliation from the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation be accepted subject to the organisation satisfying ACTU rules.
