Rally For Funding Injection For Health Pay

“About 40 health workers in the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) rallied at lunchtime today outside Labour Party HQ in Christchurch to call on the Government to inject extra funds to provide for pay increases for all public sector health workers,” said Nadine Marshall, Secretary of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) today. NUPE is in negotiations for a new Collective Agreement to replace the old one which expired on 31 December 2004.

“A letter requesting the Prime Minister to put the required funding for a 30% catch-up in public sector health workers’ pay into the District Health Boards (DHB) as they have done for nurses and doctors, was handed to Tim Barnett’s (Labour MP) electorate secretary.”

“Delegates comprised representatives of CDHB staff including registered Nurses, other clinical staff such as Social Workers, Occupational and Dental Therapists, and support staff such as maintenance and technical staff and cleaners. These staff work in teams across Princess Margaret, Hillmorton, Burwood, Christchurch Women’s’, and Christchurch Hospitals, and various other sites in Canterbury. Representatives from Non Government Organisations funded by the CDHB also attended.”

“All health workers support the increases gained and now ratified by the NZNO for nurses as well as those previously won by Doctors and Laboratory Technicians,” said Nadine Marshall. “However, the Government must acknowledge that allied health professionals also are highly trained, in high demand and deserve the same remuneration as nurses.”

“Trades staff – and other support staff - similarly are undervalued by huge amounts. For example an electrician’s base wage in the private sector is now above $50,000. In the public health sector they are paid about $10,000 less than that.”

“Today’s rally asked the Government to place the funds with Boards to settle these agreements quickly at the 30% level.”

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