Hospital admin staff plan strike

More than half of Timaru Hospital's administration staff will strike for an hour tomorrow, with threats of more to come.

As part of a nationwide industrial action, 57 of the hospital's 92 administrative staff will stop work for an hour from 3.30pm, joining more than 800 administrative staff in South Island public hospitals striking in support of their claim to be paid the same as their North Island colleagues.

Rolling strikes were to start yesterday but instead, the Public Service Association, which represents the workers, gave notice the industrial action would now be a strike on Friday, and potentially more the following week if no progress was made in pay talks.

On Friday, November 27, PSA members will join Service and Food Workers Union and New Zealand Educational Institute members for a "lift the freeze on low pay" rally to be held on the corner of Strathallan and Stafford streets, between 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

SFWU also planned to strike for four hours, between 11am and 3pm, on the same day as the rally, spokesperson Hannah Coleman said.

South Canterbury District Health Board chief executive Chris Fleming said plans were in place to cope with the strike.

"The notice announcing rolling strikes has been withdrawn by the PSA, so to date there has not been any strike action at the hospital. Other notices announcing a one-hour strike on Friday, and for short periods next week, remain in place.

"The action is limited in that it covers short time periods and only those clerical staff who are members of the PSA. Timaru Hospital has contingency plans in place and we don't anticipate there will be any disruption to the services provided to patients."

PSA assistant national secretary Warwick Jones said more strikes would follow next week if the pay disparity was not addressed.

"The workers going on strike do essential clerical work that enables doctors, nurses, radiologists and other clinical staff in hospitals to focus on treating patients," Mr Jones said.

"They've also served notice of further strikes next week unless there are significant steps towards addressing the gap between their pay and DHB staff doing the same work in the North Island."

Clerical staff at North Island DHBs have a bottom pay rate of $30,500 while South Island colleagues' pay starts at $27,641.

- © Fairfax NZ News