Two Day CYFS Strike Seeks Equal Treatment

Monday 24 October 2005

“NUPE Child Youth and Family workers will strike for two days this week to ensure frontline administrative workers get equal treatment with their social worker team members in any significant catch-up negotiated,” said Lynda Boyd, Organiser of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) today.

She was commenting after last ditch mediation last week failed to avert the strike by 350 workers set for 6.30am Wednesday (26/10) to 6.30 am Friday (28/10).

“Newly agreed rates for a catch-up for social workers in the health sector need to be passed onto their CYFS colleagues,” said Lynda Boyd. “The key problem however is the unequal treatment for administrative workers who front up to the anger and difficulties of families or whanau arising from CYFS actions.”

“Administrative and other support workers earning from $10.60 to $12.80 have faced effective pay cuts for some years due to changes made in the last pay round,” said Lynda Boyd. “Now they are being offered another real pay cut with an offer of 3% a year for two years - less than the rate of inflation at 3.4%.”

“A CYF Social Worker can legally remove an at risk child from their family, a decision that can have enormous consequences, yet they are being offered less pay than their colleagues in the hospital sector,” said Lynda Boyd. “Administrative and clerical staff, who are in the front line when dealing with distressed and abusive relatives, have to work behind protective grills in many CYF offices. They deserve equal treatment as other CYFS team members.”

“Our members have been in negotiations since May. It’s time the Government fronted up,” said Lynda Boyd

ENDS

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