CYF strike action called off

A strike by more than 2000 Department of Child Youth and Family (CYF) workers planned for today has been called off.

Public Services Association (PSA) spokesman Michael Gibbs said negotiations with the department resumed yesterday.

Earlier PSA National Secretary Richard Wagstaff said most CYF staff had not had a pay increase since 2001 and in that time the pay gap between them and other state sector workers had grown "very large".

"Social workers will be paid 20 per cent less than their colleagues in the health sector if a new pay deal recently negotiated is ratified.

"Pay rates for support staff are also behind those for similar positions in other departments," Mr Wagstaff said.

"The department regularly experiences difficulties recruiting and retaining staff. An inferior pay scale for the toughest job in social work will not fix this problem."

- NZPA