Some of New Zealand's last surviving World War II veterans have joined a protest against plans by the new managers of Auckland's Ranfurly home to slash their caregivers' wages.
Queenstown property developer Graham Wilkinson, who took over the home's management last September, wants to cut caregivers' wages by $2000 to $5000 a year by making existing staff redundant and rehiring them at lower rates through a new company.
Pacific war veteran Owen Hicks, 92 this year, joined caregivers on a picket line outside the home yesterday. They included Sue Nixon, an activities co-ordinator at the home for 16 years until she was laid off by the new management with three other activities staff and an occupational therapist. Mr Hicks said the new managers were building much better facilities - but at the cost of reduced services and outings.
"They are trying to cut costs and they have more or less done away with the actual established routines like the occupational therapy people and the helpers for more or less entertainment," he said.
"They have got what they call diversification [diversional] therapists, who are a lower grade to occupational therapists. They do similar things but not to the same standard as the OTs. They still have news-reading groups for people that can't read the newspaper.
