Health board strikers back at negotiating table

Striking Waikato District Health Board clerical and administrative staff are going back to the negotiating table next week.

Public Service Association advocate Linda Holt said the health board had contacted the union and asked for a meeting next week.

"We have said there is little point in meeting if they were not willing to negotiate, so I presume they are," Ms Holt said.

The board met at Waikato Hospital yesterday as picketing clerical and administration workers continued the second day of strike action.

Health board human resources general manager Etienne Scheepers said the board had initiated fresh talks ahead of threatened further strike action set down for April 26-28.

The date for the meeting is yet to be set.

Mr Scheepers said the board wanted to try to find a way through the impasse.

"We have made it quite clear that there is no more money but we will be looking at restructuring our previous offer so that it better meets the needs of our clerical staff," he said.

The workers ended a 48-hour strike at 7am today after they walked out on Tuesday morning demanding a "fair pay offer" in line with the 3 per cent already agreed for other district health board staff.

The board has offered clerical and administrative staff a 3 per cent offer through to December 31, but because it is backdated to October 1, 2004 rather than May 31, 2004 -- the date when the collective agreement expired -- the PSA said that would only equate to a 1.75 per cent increase over that period.

- NZPA