NEW ZEALAND INDEPENDENT COALITION MEDIA RELEASE

Health strike rings alarm bells

“In his final weeks as Health Minister, Tony Ryall should be ensuring that health workers get a fair wage for their work,” says NZ Independent Coalition leader Brendan Horan.

“Everyone who has been in hospital can attest to the hard work and excellent services our health professionals deliver. That was certainly my experience four months ago. That these people are being forced to take industrial action should ring alarm bells with all New Zealanders. Why is this Government disrespecting our public servants? With Novopay they demonstrated scant regard to teachers and they are doing the same to nurses.

“Tony Ryall’s policy is forcing 12,000 workers to take industrial action, by working to rule, an extremely difficult concept for health sector workers who are most often attracted to this work type because they are special people who want to help others at a time of need, they most often give much more than is asked and expected from them. Tony Ryall is saying he will not offer a pay rise that even keeps up with inflation,” said Brendan Horan.

“The danger for New Zealand is that National may be re-elected with a majority of seats, and railroad through harmful employment policies. What the country needs is for the NZ Independent Coalition to be in Parliament, to humanise National’s policies, to take the sharp edges off their dangerous ideas.

“Without the NZ Independent Coalition, health sector professional and other workers will certainly suffer under John Key’s employment relations legislation, which is designed to gut workers’ rights, this legislation is ready to go first thing post election. You don’t hear National candidates talking about this policy.

“People deserve a fair wage for a fair day’s work,” NZIC advocates for a Fair Wage economy said Brendan Horan

© Scoop Media