Strike Notice Issued to Mental Health Provider

Union Issues Strike Notice to mental Health Provider After Unanimous Vote

The National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) has issued strike notices to private mental health provider Richmond Fellowship after members voted unanimously last week for a 48 hour withdrawal of labour on 12 and 13 June.

NUPE and the Service and Food Workers’ Union has been in negotiations with Richmond Fellowship since before Christmas, claiming a base rate of $15.00 per hour for mental health workers.

NUPE has over 80 members in Richmond Fellowship’s Christchurch operation, over 80% of the frontline professionals caring for some of society’s most challenging and vulnerable people.

To date, Richmond Fellowship has made no pay offer,” said John Kerr, NUPE Organiser. “All Richmond Fellowship has offered is a ‘Clayton’s Collective’ excluding pay. Richmond Fellowship’s CEO Dr Gerry Walmisley has refused point blank to meet our representatives whilst keeping his negotiating team on the shortest of short leashes. We are driven to the conclusion that this employer is ideologically opposed to mental workers being paid a decent wage. Our members are paid as little as $11 an hour and get no shift leave or weekend allowances. This employer is paying poverty line wages,” said John Kerr.

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