Essential Hospital Medication Supply Workers At Baxter Healthcare To Strike

What:

FIRST Union members who work for Baxter Healthcare Limited in Auckland and Christchurch are taking strike action by withdrawing their labour and holding a public picket outside the business in Auckland on Monday next week.

Where:

Outside Baxter Healthcare, 33 Vestey Drive, Mount Wellington, Auckland 1060

When:

• Public picket - Monday 1st July, 09:00-10:00 - media are invited to attend if you wish to speak with a Baxter Healthcare worker directly
• Withdrawal of labour - Effective Monday 1st July, from 07:00-14:30

Why:

Numia Raea, FIRST Union organiser, said Baxter Healthcare workers were skilled pharmaceutical producers and distributors with the important job of providing essential life saving and sustaining medications for hospitals and patients.

"Baxter workers have been fighting for a fair pay rise for 5 years now but instead have been undermined with performance-based pay and motivated to work harder by emotional arguments about the crucial service they provide for those suffering in hospitals and homes around the country," said Ms Raea.

"The truth is that they’ve long been underpaid for the work they do and almost all of our members need to work weekly overtime hours in order to keep up with regular costs like rent and food on their low wages."

Ms Raea said workers voted for strike action and notified the employer nearly two weeks ago of their intentions due to Baxter Healthcare being classed as an essential service. FIRST Union members went home early from work on Wednesday last week and Monday’s public picket was aimed to build public understanding of another crucial workforce in the "forgotten" chemical industry, where wages were consistently low relative to the considerable skill and expertise required to be successful in these roles, Ms Raea said.

Baxter Healthcare is an American company based in Deerfield, Illinois, and a large international corporation. They are manufacturers of prepared IV Solutions, surgical products, chemotherapy solutions, Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and more. FIRST Union members have also voted for a media and social media strike, meaning workers would be free to share their thoughts online and with the public and media in attendance at the picket action on Monday.

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