Hospital staff to strike over pay

BY NAOMI ARNOLD

About 180 administrative workers at Nelson Hospital and Wairau Hospital will strike tomorrow afternoon, joining more than 800 administrative staff at South Island hospitals fighting for equal pay with their North Island counterparts.

The Public Service Association, which represents the workers, said staff at all six of the South Island's district health boards would strike for one hour at 3.30pm.

PSA organiser Mike Cunliffe said most of the membership would protest outside the hospital.

"Given that there's been absolutely no improvement in the employers' position we've had to move to more extreme action."

He said there would be a rally on Waimea Rd between 8.30am and 9.30am tomorrow.

Further strike notices had been sent to employers for next week for strikes ranging from one to three hours.

Mr Cunliffe said the PSA had agreed to have a small number of people remaining in the hospital to cover emergencies.

"That underlines the point that these people are performing essential life-saving purposes," he said.

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board district manager of clinical support, James Bowyer, said it would be "business as usual" at the hospital despite the strike.

"We'll continue to monitor it but we have contingency plans in place," he said.

No patient appointments or care would be affected and non-union staff would staff important areas, such as manning telephones, the emergency department and intensive care.

Mr Bowyer advised the public that if there was no-one at a desk, a sign would be there advising people to take a seat and someone would be with them shortly.

PSA assistant national secretary Warwick Jones said clerical staff working for North Island DHBs had a bottom pay rate of $30,500 while their South Island colleagues' pay starts at $27,641 – just 78 cents an hour above the minimum wage.

"It's unacceptable to pay workers less for doing the same work just because they live in the South Island," he said.

"The Government needs to acknowledge this discrimination and work with the DHBs to bridge this pay gap."

He said the workers did essential clerical work that allowed doctors, nurses, radiologists and other clinical staff in hospitals to focus on treating patients.

Administrative and clerical workers include telephonists, ward clerks, medical record clerks, medical secretaries, booking clerks and clinical coders.

Last month, thousands of hospital staff around the country, including orderlies, security guards and cleaners from the Service and Food Workers Union, picketed to protest the absence of a pay rise.

Next Friday a rally is planned in town from 11.30am to 2.30pm at the 1903 site in Trafalgar St, Nelson.

-with NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News