DHBs Fail Allied Health Professionals - Again

Ten thousand PSA allied, public health, scientific and technical workers are still waiting for an acceptable offer from DHBs to settle their collective agreement negotiations.

Three days of negotiations, facilitated by the Employment Relations Authority, have concluded without a settlement being reached. The Employment Relations Authority will release its formal, non-binding recommendations in due course.

Occupational therapist Dianna says, "It is completely incomprehensible that the government won’t treat us fairly.

Everyone knows the conditions health professionals are working under at the moment - to the extent that some DHBs have offered up to $750 extra pay per shift to some health professionals to cover shortages during the peak of Omicron."

PSA organiser, Will Matthews says, "The Employment Relations Authority recommendations may mean we can resolve this dispute - we hope it will - but we need to consider industrial action if it doesn’t.

The government must provide DHBs with a mandate to settle this dispute.

The DHB's refusal to address pay, recruitment and retention for allied workers is unacceptable, and what is even more frustrating is that the Minister of Health could solve this situation today."

Allied health workers will vote on strike action over the next week.

A petition calling on the government to provide the DHBs with a mandate to settle the dispute can be found here: campaigns.psa.org.nz/we_are_allied

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