DHB workers accept pay rise

About 43,000 District Health Board (DHB) employees have voted to accept a 2 per cent wage increase after a long-running pay dispute.

Members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), Public Service Association (PSA) and Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU) today voted in favour of the offer by the country's 21 DHBs following a long running dispute.

PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff said the agreement also outlined processes for dealing with national and local restructuring, dispute resolution and problem solving and healthy workplace systems.

"We welcome the vote to accept this land mark agreement covering 43,000 health workers," he said.

"Achieving a 2 per cent across the board pay rise for this many health workers in the current economic environment is a major achievement."

Mr Wagstaff said the agreement also addressed a discrepancy between North Island and South Island clerical workers.

South Island workers would receive a pay increase of 5 to 6 per cent to bring them in line with the bottom rate for North Island staff.

SFWU national secretary John Ryall said the union's members voted for the agreement to provide stability during a period of change.

"We are confident that with this settlement health workers will be fully involved in the change process," he said.

- NZPA