KEY POINTS:
A "climate of mistrust" was behind the strikes plaguing the health service, Health Minister Pete Hodgson said yesterday.
He told the health select committee that he was doing all he could to reduce the current round of industrial action, but it was in the hands of district health boards and the unions.
DHBs, who had to work within fixed budgets, were concerned that they were not able to get agreement among the various unions, while the unions felt undervalued by the DHBs.
Mr Hodgson said he met the parties regularly, but in the end it was their job to settle.
While the number of hours lost due to industrial action was low in comparison to the total number of hours worked, he did accept the disruption was multiplied because other parts of the sector were unable to do their job properly.
The year had been difficult with more than the usual number of agreements coming up for renegotiation and this had stretched resources.
There have been calls for Government intervention in the sector.
Senior doctors have been the latest to threaten industrial action. They have asked for a two-year contract with a pay rise of 6 to 7 per cent in the first year and half that in the second year.
They also want more money to cover expenses for continuing education, and pay rates for on-call work to be increased from time-and-a-half to double time. DHBs have offered a four-year contract with increases of between 2.6 per cent and 3.8 per cent each year.
Other sections of the workforce that have faced or still face industrial action include medical laboratory workers, food and service workers, and radiotherapists.
- NZPA
