2700 hospital workers to strike around the country

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More than 2700 hospital service workers around the country will strike this Friday over stalled wage negotiations.

Food services workers, orderlies, cleaners and security staff will walk off the job for four hours from 11am.

Service and Food Workers Union national secretary John Ryall said negotiations with district health boards (DHBs) and some contracting companies had failed to secure any wage increase.

"Despite the DHBs being given a government funding increase of 3.1 per cent this year they are refusing to pass on even one cent of that to the lowest paid hospital workers," he said.

"The Government has instructed them (DHBs) that there will be no increase in any public hospital agreement wage rate this year without specific agreement of the minister of health."

Meanwhile, 800 administrative staff at South Island hospitals went on strike today.

Members of the Public Service Association (PSA) at all six South Island DHBs walked off for an hour from 8.30am.

PSA assistant national secretary Warwick Jones said staff were striking to protest against being paid less than North Island staff doing the same work.

South Island staff received an annual base salary of $27,641, compared with $30,500 for North Island staff, he said.

- NZPA