Social workers' Christmas strike hits stressed families

Tariana Turia

Social workers are set to strike over Christmas, refusing to attend Child, Youth and Family (CYF) crisis calls throughout the stressful holiday period.

As part of a strike by 350 social workers and administration staff - members of the National Union of Public Employees - they would not attend any callouts on any of the statutory holidays, Nupe organiser Lynda Boyd said.

CYF employs about 1300 social workers and people doing related work. Ms Boyd said CYF had offered social workers an 11 per cent pay increase and administrators had been offered 6.4 per cent.

But health sector social workers had received 20-30 per cent rises and she said the CYF employees wanted parity.

Some CYF administration staff earned only $10.50 an hour, just $1 above minimum wage. Ms Boyd said they needed a greater pay rise to recognise the difficulty of their jobs, as front-line staff facing parents who had had their children taken away.

"To be having that sort of responsibility when you're earning $10.50 an hour runs pretty bitter-sweet with most people."

Ms Boyd acknowledged children would need help over Christmas but said it was the Government's fault that social workers were striking now.

"Everyone would agree that Christmas time can be a stressful time for families, and social workers will be needed over this time, but what also needs to be remembered is that it's up to the Government to solve this problem," she said.

"Our members have been in negotiations for eight months now and to see Helen Clark get her pay rise of $30,000 last week, that was a pretty nice Christmas present for her. It would be nice if the Government could reciprocate and give our members the catch-up that they're long overdue."

The action begins at 5pm on December 23 and will continue indefinitely.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said it was disappointing that CYF staff would be striking over Christmas.

"However, we also accept that social workers should be far better paid than they are, given the complex and difficult nature of their work.

"CYF workers are poorly paid, which makes a mockery of the status we accord the families of this nation."

A spokeswoman for CYF said the organisation was preparing a statement on the Nupe strike action.

- NZPA