Junior Doctors’ Strike – The Next Step

16 JUNE, 2006

Junior Doctors’ Strike – The Next Step

District Health Boards are waiting for junior doctors to respond to an invitation to resume negotiations.

The Lead Negotiator for the country’s 21 DHBs, Dr Nigel Murray – Interim CEO of Southland District Health Board, says we’ve told the union we’re prepared to meet and want to assure people we will do what we can.

“The DHB team has been meeting today to review its position and prepare for the next meeting. We believe we can get a settlement – many of the fears expressed publicly by junior doctors and their union are unfounded.

“We believe we can allay those fears and want to reassure them that our proposal is not an attack on their conditions. Their Employment Agreement will be protected and will not be changed without their agreement.”

Dr Murray says every employment agreement can be varied if both parties agree – what we’re proposing is to protect their existing pay and conditions and look at ways to improve areas of concern to us both, without the conflict that always accompanies these negotiations.

“The truth of it is that the junior doctors’ latest proposal still fails to break this continuous cycle of confrontation”

“If we don’t find a better way of working together, we will perpetuate this cycle “

ENDS

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