Meetings Vote for More Strike Action in CDHB

Monday 5 December 2005
Media Release
Attention: Industrial/Health Reporters

Meetings Vote for More Strike Action in CDHB

“NUPE members across the CDHB have voted by 80% majority to issue a three day strike notice to the CDHB in the week running up to Christmas after campaigning all year for a pay rise,” said Lynda Boyd, Organiser with the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE). Around 500 NUPE CDHB members took a five day strike in the week of 12 to 17 September.

“Health workers belonging to NUPE based in Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast and Canterbury have all been seeking a pay catch-up of around 30% to compensate for low pay deriving back to the 1990s,” said Lynda Boyd.

“Health workers in the CDHB represented by NUPE who met in stopwork meetings last week have not even had a pay offer yet, let alone an increase, despite negotiations having been ongoing for over 12 months,” said Lynda Boyd. “Delegates will meet on Wednesday to determine the actual date of notice of strike action, given NUPE has to give 14 days notice to the employer.”

“Mental Health Nurses, Allied Health workers like Dental Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers, Clerical workers (whose pay rates start at $9.70), Maintenance trades staff, Information services staff – they are all frustrated at the inability or unwillingness of the Government to fully fund significant pay rises,” said Lynda Boyd.

“There is a great deal of anger and frustration in CDHB and members need to see some goodwill gesture from the Government before the year ends,” said Lynda Boyd. “Most of those who voted to strike are on CEAs that expired on 31 December 2004.”

ENDS

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