Ten thousand Public Service Association (PSA) allied health workers are set to strike on Monday, with the union confirming today that no pay offer has been received from District Health Boards (DHBs) and the Ministry of Health.
“It is unbelievable that the DHBs are yet again failing to meet their own timeline to make a fair pay offer to our 10,000 health workers,” said PSA organiser, Will Matthews.
“The Employment Relations Authority set out a clear pathway to resolve this dispute, and we told the DHBs that we would accept those recommendations. The lack of action from their end demonstrates their disregard for the hard work and sacrifice of these essential workers.
“The DHBs and the Ministry of Health need to understand that regardless of the outcome of this dispute, their relationship with 10,000 of their employees has now been fundamentally damaged. It will be a long road to restoring the trust and goodwill of allied health workers,” he said.
He said hospitals had been forced to cancel operations for thousands of New Zealanders that had been scheduled to take place on Monday.
Workers had voted to strike in March, but the action was cancelled after the DHBs sought an injunction through the Employment Court.
Following a fresh strike ballot, Allied health workers are currently undertaking a two week-long ‘work to rule’ strike, and will walk off the job for 24 hours on Monday 16 May.
