July 13, 2004

South Island Regional Health Agreements A Step Closer

The PSA continues to roll out its national strategy for regional health agreements with the initiation of bargaining for two South Island agreements last Friday July 9, PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said today.

"Bargaining was initiated for the two remaining South Island PSA health agreements - one for mental health nurses and one for allied health staff - after members endorsed the proposed agreements in recently held ballots."

"Bargaining for a clerical & administrative agreement occurred in March."

"The allied health agreement covers the six South Island District Health Boards including the West Coast, Nelson Marlborough, Canterbury, South Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The scope of the Allied Health agreement covers a broad range of professional groups including anaesthetic technicians, pharmacists, social workers, sterile supply workers and public health nurses."

Richard Wagstaff said the mental health nurses agreement will apply to the four DHBs where the bulk of mental health nurses are employed and is an agreement that is separate from the NZNO's general nursing agreement. The four DHBs are West Coast, Nelson Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago.

"We are expecting these negotiations to be 'robust' but constructive as we pursue our aim of creating regional agreements that standardise pay rates and terms and conditions of employment for PSA members - and an outcome that will ultimately benefit the provision of public health services in the South Island."

Approximately 2000 union members are covered by the two agreements.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>