21 DHBs Pleased With Clarification

21 DHBs Pleased With Clarification

District Health Boards are pleased the Employment Court has clarified the status of bargaining initiation notices issued by the union representing Resident Medical Officers (RMOs).

“This means negotiations can now get underway on the employment arrangements that will best support the training and career developments of RMOs,” says Karen Roach, a spokesperson for the DHBs’ negotiating team.

The New Zealand Resident Doctors Association (RDA) notified the country’s 21 District Health Boards (DHBs) in November 2009 that it wanted to split the existing national Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA) into four separate agreements to cover each of the three Auckland metropolitan DHBs and create a MECA for the rest of New Zealand.

Ms Roach says DHBs had concerns over the validity of these notices, and sought clarification from the Court on this. This has now been provided.

The Employment Court in Wellington has heard arguments from both parties and decided the union’s initiation notices are valid.

“We’re looking forward to hearing the details of the ruling and moving forward in the negotiation process with the RDA,” says Ms Roach.

“RMOs are a highly valued part of our national medical workforce and DHBs are committed to encouraging their ongoing training under the apprenticeship model of learning and strengthening their relationships with Senior Medical Officers. This is about building an effective and well supported future medical workforce that is able to deliver the health care our communities need.”

The term Resident Medical Officer (RMO) covers resident doctors from their last year of undergraduate medical training until they complete their vocational training. RMOs range in age from early 20s to over 50, and include undergraduate students as well as those with six or more years’ post-registration experience. Various job titles include trainee intern, intern, junior doctor, house officer, house surgeon, senior house officer/surgeon, registrar and advanced trainee.

ENDS

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