Bay of Plenty health workers vote to strike

More than 300 Bay of Plenty District Health Board workers have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay. Photo / George Novak

More than 300 Bay of Plenty District Health Board workers have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay.

The health workers have rejected an offer of a 0.7 per cent pay rise, labelling it "insulting".

In total, 12,000 health workers nationally including 374 in the Bay will take part in the strike action which begins on August 25, with a work to rule policy, followed by an overtime ban, and two days of strike action.

Striking workers include mental and public health nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, anaesthetic technicians, dental therapists and administrative staff, among others.

PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said the 87.1 per cent vote to strike showed the seriousness of the funding crisis in the health sector. It would be the biggest industrial action in a decade, he said.

The union said their demand for a 2 per cent pay increase was modest and even a 2 per cent pay rise was not even in line with the Consumer Price Index.

"DHB staff work hard to keep New Zealanders healthy, but their own wellbeing is put under increasing strain by these insulting offers," he said.

Mr Wagstaff said the PSA was going into mediation talks in the next couple of weeks.

"Budget documents say DHBs expect a 17 per cent increase in demand over the 10 years to 2021, but they won't get the funding to match and they're planning to squeeze it out of staff.

"Our members are asking to be fairly recognised for the hard work they put in to keep our health system running - an annual pay rise shouldn't start with a decimal point."

This week, Graham Dyer, chairman of the DHB employment relations strategy group, said the boards were disappointed the union had sought a mandate for industrial action. District health boards were operating in a tight fiscal environment, he said.

"The expectations should be tempered. There remains severe pressure on the economic delivery of world class health services for all New Zealanders," Mr Dyer said.

PSA health workers have voted to:

• Work to rule from August 25 to September 10

• Impose a ban on overtime from September 1 to 10 (that includes taking after-hours phone calls)

• Hold a two-hour strike for each eight-hour shift on September 2

• Hold a three-hour strike for each eight-hour shift on September 10

- additional reporting APNZ