NUPE congratulates MPs on their pay rise...

Friday 16 December 2005

NUPE congratulates MPs on their pay rise and says what about health workers?

‘The National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) congratulates MPs and Ministers on their pay hike awarded yesterday before they go on their eight weeks annual holiday, but asks when will health workers get their turn?’ said NUPE Acting Secretary John Kerr.

‘Health workers belonging to NUPE based in Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast and Canterbury are seeking a pay catch-up of around 30% to compensate for low pay deriving from the 1990s,’ said John Kerr.

‘Mental Health Nurses and Allied Health workers like Dental Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Social Workers have at least won Government recognition that they do need significant pay rises but they will not see these in their pockets this side of Xmas’, said John Kerr.

‘Health workers in Canterbury have been in wage negotiations since 31 December last year and have yet to receive an offer on pay. We’ve been told that part of the reason for the hold up has been delays in the Government signing off funding to the Canterbury District Health Board to pay for wage increases’ , said John Kerr.

‘It’s galling for our members to hear the Prime minister is to receive a $30000 pay rise, an increase that is higher than the total salary of some health workers. For example, clerical workers pay starts as low as $9.70 per hour. Maintenance Trades staff are being paid much less than their private sector counterparts and information technology staff are leaving the health sector for higher paid jobs elsewhere’, said John Kerr.

‘There is a great deal of anger and frustration in the public health sector and the news of MPs’ pay increases can only inflame that feeling,’ said John Kerr.

ENDS

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