Doctors pay talks to resume 'but not soon enough'

Junior doctors and their hospital bosses are set to return to the negotiating table in mid-September but the doctors say that's not soon enough.

About 2500 junior doctors went on a five-day strike in June after pay and working conditions contract talks broke down.

The head of the Resident Doctors Association Deborah Powell today said the DHBs were acting in bad faith and using delaying tactics in a bid to force doctors on to individual contracts, a claim the DHBs denied.

Dr Powell said the DHBs had offered a mid-September date for negotiations, which was nine weeks after the last negotiations, and only marginally earlier than the proposed late-September date.

"Despite insisting that the DHBs were not delaying negotiations they have only advanced possible available dates for negotiations by two weeks."

She said that was "further proof" the DHBs were delaying and seeking to wait until the collective agreement expired in January.

She claimed to have evidence of the tactic, citing a July letter by DHBs lead negotiator Nigel Murray.

"We've got a document that has actually been written by Nigel himself, stating that a tactic in the negotiations is to delay until the contract expires in January and then they can force RMOs (Resident Medical Officers) on to individual employment agreements," Dr Powell told National Radio.

However, the DHBs' lead negotiator Nigel Murray denied this, saying though there was an advantage to the delay, the DHBs were keen to return to pay and working conditions negotiations.

He said the letter was a briefing document only, which had only been saying the fact the contract was due to expire created pressure for both sides.

"Our objective is to secure this MECA (Multi-Employer Collective Agreement)," he said.

- NZPA