Hospital workers to go on strike

More than 800 administrative staff in South Island public hospitals will strike on Friday as they fight for better pay.

The Public Service Association (PSA), which represents the workers, said staff at all six of the South Island's district health boards (DHBs) would strike for on hour at 3.30pm.

"The workers going on strike do essential clerical work that enables doctors, nurses, radiologists and other clinical staff in hospitals to focus on treating patients," PSA assistant national secretary Warwick Jones said.

The workers had been due to start industrial action today by taking work breaks together, but Mr Jones said that notice of action had been withdrawn and they would strike on Friday instead.

"They've also served notice of further strikes next week unless there are significant steps towards addressing the gap between their pay and DHB staff doing the same work in the North Island."

Clerical staff working for North Island DHBs have a bottom pay rate of $30,500 while their South Island colleagues' pay starts at $27,641 - just 78 cents an hour above the minimum wage, Mr Jones said.

"It's unacceptable to pay workers less for doing the same work just because they live in the South Island.

"The Government needs to acknowledge this discrimination and work with the DHBs to bridge this pay gap."

Chris Fleming, spokesman for the DHBs involved, said the hospitals had contingency plans in place to deal with the strike.

"The focus of the contingency plans are to minimise disruption and to ensure patient and staff safety at all times," he said. "While all staffing groups have the right to determine how they respond during industrial negotiations, it is disappointing that the clerical and administrative staff have decided to express their views in this way."

- NZPA