Angry Parklands Staff To Picket

12 August 2004

Angry Parklands Staff To Picket

One of Christchurch’s busiest roads will be the scene of a picket tomorrow afternoon when members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation show their employer how angry they are over a pay increase made to non union staff only.

NZNO organiser Kay Squires said the 50 NZNO members from Parklands Hospital were angry because their employer, Guardian Healthcare, had given non union members a 3.75% pay increase and given union members nothing.

Kay Squires said members were disappointed on three counts.

Firstly they had been left out of national collective agreement negotiation covering union members elsewhere in the country. Secondly they have received no pay increase since receiving 1% in 2002, and most importantly, while non union staff had been given a 3.75% pay increase, union members received nothing.

Kay squires said many attempts had been made with Guardian Healthcare to rectify this anomaly without success and mediation had also been declined.

“Union members are feeling extremely angry and undervalued. It is disappointing that Guardian Healthcare are so willing to meet the expectations of one group of workers (non union) while ignoring the needs of others (union members),” she said.

“To reward some for their hard work and contributions while ignoring others is an insult and divisive, and severely damages morale in the workplace. Staff can see this is not fair and this has just united them in their anger.”

Kay Squires said Parklands NZNO members would picket outside the Papanui Road aged care hospital during the 3-4pm rush hour tomorrow.

“They want to show the people of Christchurch how unfairly those who chose to join their union are being treated, and we want to get around the table and negotiate a collective for union members which includes the 3.75% pay increase made to non union staff,” she said.

ENDS

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