Carers upset by staffing cutbacks
Three jobs are on the line at HealthCare New Zealand’s Timaru branch.
HealthCare NZ is proposing to cut staff numbers around New Zealand, three in South Canterbury, in what it terms a ‘‘new approach’’ to the organisation’s structure, and it has given staff until February 20 to respond.
The privately-owned organisation provides home care and support to vulnerable people for multiple district health boards, and manages community houses that provide 24-hour support for people with disabilities.
A Public Service Association spokesperson told Stuff three jobs at HealthCare NZ Community Health on Hassall St, Timaru, were on the line according to an operating model proposal sent out to staff. The office employs 10 staff members.
According to the spokesperson, the three jobs are two co-ordinators’ positions and one administrator/co-ordinator position.
The union is co-ordinating protests countrywide to bring attention to the controversial proposal, which could result in 200 jobs being lost altogether.
One staff member affected by the proposed changes said the exercise to change the operating model was ‘‘pointless’’.
‘‘Nobody can understand why they want to do this. It is the way it is and it’s working.
‘‘The only thing I can think of is apparently we are a private company so I think they are trying to cut money wherever they can save it.’’
The move would affect staff in both North Otago and South Canterbury.
‘‘It’s not only going to be Timaru, it will also be Oamaru.’’
Some staff members were starting to look for new employment already.
‘‘We are not happy at all. It’s going to be hard.’’
The employee said staff felt betrayed as they were being ‘‘left in the lurch’’.
HealthCare NZ said in a statement some jobs would be ‘‘disestablished, realigned and created’’.
Chief executive Vanessa Dudley said it would not affect frontline clinical staff or support workers, but did not say how many staff would be affected.
‘‘We appreciate that this is a period of uncertainty for our staff,’’ she said.