Hospital strike delayed but action still pending

Hospital strike delayed but action still pending

For immediate Use - Attention Health and Industrial reporters

Service and Food Workers Union delegates have agreed to lift the first two days of a nationwide strike affecting 2500 hospital orderlies, cleaners and kitchen staff. The action was scheduled to start Thursday 31 May.

The union has been issuing more than four thousand strike notices each day for the past week, while the four contracting companies who dominate the sector have responded with lockout notices.

SFWU spokesperson Alastair Duncan says the union agreed to lift the action to enable mediation to continue so that the two employer groups, the District Health Boards and private contractors can review two critical issues.

"We have asked the District Health Boards, who are the paymasters in this process, to go back to their data and review their pay offers and assumptions."

"Despite additional Government funding being made available the DHB process to date has been cloaked in secrecy. This is not appropriate when the parties are dealing with public funds. We hope progress can be made over the next few days."

Alastair Duncan says any settlement will depend on satisfying union members that workers employed by contractors are not disadvantaged.

"The wages and conditions paid to staff working for contractors are consistently sub-standard. Correcting this is fundamental to any settlement.

"By lifting the first two days of the strike we hope the contractors will now step up."

Last month union members voted by secret ballot to take the action in support of their claim for fair pay and national conditions of employment.

Alastair Duncan says the remaining notices will remain in force pending progress in the ongoing mediation.

"Any failure by the contractors or the DHB's to take advantage of our initiative will inflame the situation and see action escalate.

Two thirds of the workers are employed by the four contractors, Spotless, ISS, Compass and OCS.

ENDS

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