‘Forgotten’ health staff vote for strike action
Workers lament 15 months of ‘fruitless’ pay talks
More than 460 Public Service Association (PSA) union members at Hawke’s Bay DHB will take industrial action and claim they’re the “forgotten workforce”.
Hawke’s Bay PSA organiser Kevin McGorry said the allied, public health, scientific and technical members participating in the strike included lab techs doing Covid testing, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
Other roles included sterile supplies technicians.
“Ninety-six per cent of them have voted in favour of industrial action,” he said.
“They, overwhelmingly, feel like the forgotten workforce because they see the staff at their own hospital getting significant pay rises, when some of them are earning below living wage.”
He said the workers had had enough after 15 months of fruitless negotiations despite doing essential work during the pandemic.
“We’ve been in negotiations for 15 months and strike was the last resort, but it might be our only option unless DHBs get funding for equitable pay increases.”
The association sought resolution on low wages and wage progression, equal treatment to other health professionals, enabling pay equity, safe staffing/recruitment and retention.
Rosemary Clements, chief executive of Taranaki DHB and employment relations spokeswoman for DHBs, said it was “disappointing” the workers were planning strikes, when DHBs had offered a way to avoid them.
“Boards have asked the PSA to join them in an application to the Employment Relations Authority for facilitation to help settle pay talks with the 10,000-strong group of health workers,” Clements said.
“Facilitation will allow an independent third party with knowledge of the sector to help reach an agreement without disrupting patients, families and wha¯nau, especially when we’re facing an outbreak of the Omicron variant of Covid.”
She said an offer was made consistent with other DHB pay settlements to psychologists, lab scientists, anaesthetic technicians, pharmacists and dieticians.
“We also made it clear there are
more ways to address common concerns about the lowest paid, including increases greater than the union is claiming.
“It’s disappointing the PSA has rejected the offer and wants to pick up parts of the nurses’ interim pay equity settlement and apply it to this group.”
Nationally, 10,000 professionals in DHBs around the country will be taking part in the industrial action.
PSA organiser Will Matthews said the support for industrial action nationwide was “unprecedented”.
Matthews said the members saw strike action as the only remaining option to get the DHBs and the Government to listen, and to come to the table with an offer that ensured fair pay and treatment for the members.
“New Zealand needs each and every one of these professionals. And yet many of them don’t even earn a living wage,” Matthews said.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora supported the action.
“As the union representing senior hospital doctors and dentists our members know how valuable these workers are and clearly see the pressures they are under,” said ASMS executive director Sarah Dalton.
“The fact they have been pushed into strike action is a reflection of the utter frustration with the DHBs’ and Government’s attitude to health workers’ pay and conditions.”
Dalton said workers across all parts of the health system had not hesitated to go the “extra mile” in the past two years, despite entrenched staff shortages, huge patient demand and challenging working conditions.
“The Government and the DHBs are taking highly skilled and trained people for granted. Making paltry or zero per cent pay offers, alongside a dismissive approach to negotiations, adds insult to injury.”
The strikes are planned for March 4 and March 18.