Health Workers Stand Behind Proposed Strike

Dozens of health workers rallied outside Christchurch Hospital yesterday to show their support for a threatened five-day strike that could close school dental services and cripple healthcare in a range of areas.

About 500 health workers in the National Union of Public Employees, including dental therapists, mental health nurses, clerical records and maintenance staff, have threatened to strike from August 29.

Union organiser Martin Cooney said members were seeking a 30 per cent pay rise in line with the hospital nurses’ pay jolt agreed this year.

Cooney said the strike threat had caused some mental health nurses to quit the union but this was unsurprising given that nurses’ pay was effectively “sorted out”.

“So nurses are being asked to … make quite a big sacrifice for their colleagues,” Cooney said.

Contingency planning by the Canterbury District Health Board was under way in a bid to minimise disruption to patients.

The Public Service Association has also threatened one-day strikes on August 22 and 29 by 15,000 health workers nationwide.

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