More stopworks hit hospitals

Hospital cleaners, kitchen, orderly and security staff will stop work tomorrow (Thursday 10th May) to vote on what could be one of the largest strike actions in public hospitals.

2500 members of the Service and Food Workers Union are expected to reject a pay offer from the District Health Boards and major contractors, that was tabled on Sunday.

SFWU spokesperson Alastair Duncan says it has taken a year of negotiation, protest, pickets and legal action to get the employers to the point of a first "pathetic" offer.

"Not only are the DHBs offering a miserly 2.1% average pay increase, they have refused to enter into a single national collective that would lock-in the contractors." Says Mr Duncan

The fours major contractors, Spotless Serices, OCS, ISS, and Compass employ two thirds of the affected workers.

"The DHBs are in control of the process but have allowed the contractors to wriggle off the hook." Says Mr Duncan

"Without the contractors in the collective there will be no collective." Says Mr Duncan

"The DHBs say they want to address low pay but a 2.1% pay offer is both pathetic and provocative." Says Mr Duncan

ENDS

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