Public hospitals deny food to staff and visitors

Public hospitals deny food to staff and visitorsPublic hospitals around
the country intend to deny food to visitors and staff says the Service and Food Workers Union.

SFWU spokesperson Alastair Duncan says a number of major hospitals have told staff they will have to rely on vending machines for food and drink.

Auckland hospital has told staff that cafeterias will be closed and that staff will have to resort to vending machines.

Wellington hospital has told staff to expect "very little" cover in food and cleaning services. Other hospitals are expected to also reduce or cease similar services to staff and visitors.

Hospital kitchen, cleaning and orderlies issued strike notice last week in support of a claim for pay rise and a national agreement. Alastair Duncan says the notices were a last resort in a nine month attempt to settle the dispute.

The four major contractor contractors, Spotless, ISS, OCS and Compass then retaliated with lockout notices to a nearly two thousand orderlies, cleaners and kitchen staff.

In Wellington the catering company Compass, has told kitchen staff they will be locked out from their work from Thursday 31st. Compass is also locking out kitchen staff at Taranaki, Ashburton and Christchurch hospitals.

Spotless Services is locking out kitchen staff at North Shore, Northland, Counties Manukau, Timaru, Tauranga, Hastings, Manawatu, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Wairarapa and Invercargill.

OCS is locking out kitchen staff at Auckland and Greenlane Hospitals

Alastair Duncan says that by failing to ensure food is available the contract companies may be breaching their commercial agreements with District Health Boards

"By failing to provide staff or visitors with access to food the Boards and the contractors may also be in breach of their responsibilities to the rest of the workforce and their communities.

The union had originally issued strike notices in the hope of bringing the employers to their senses but the lockouts had escalated the dispute.

"Kitchen and catering staff, along with their workmates in cleaning and orderly services are being forced out of their workplaces and onto picket lines."

"We have a very real concern that the use of untrained, unskilled replacement staff could threaten the welfare of patients and staff."

The SFWU pay claim is for a minimum start rate of $14.33 an hour rising to $16.54. The employers have offered start rates of $12.50 an hour rising to $13.25.

ENDS

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