[ad_1]
Senior doctors and dentists have voted in overwhelming numbers to go on their first ever nationwide strike next month over failed pay negotiations, their union has confirmed.
Sarah Dalton, chief executive of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said it had been seeking a wage increase for its members to match inflation. The union has about 5500 members, 82% of which voted in favour of three rounds strike action in September.
The strikes will take place over three weeks at eight-day intervals – on September 5 from 10am-noon, then on September 13 from noon-2pm, then on September 21 from 10am-2pm.
This was in an effort to disrupt patient care as little as possible, Dalton said.
“Doctors care about their patients but have decided failure to protect the value of their work will only result in more doctors leaving New Zealand or declining to apply for jobs here.”
The result meant more pressure on the remaining workforce and longer wait times for patients.
“We must stop the downward spiral of our doctors’ salaries to protect patients’ right to access healthcare in a timely manner,” Dalton said.
Sungmi Kim/Stuff
The union has about 5500 members, 82% of which voted in favour of three rounds strike action in September.
Te Whatu Ora has acknowledged New Zealand was short 1700 doctors and 220 dental practitioners nationwide, including GPs. The union believed the numbers were an “extremely conservative estimate”.
In a statement, Te Whatu Ora’s chief people officer Andrew Slater said the employer respected doctors’ right to strike, But “a fair offer was put on the table and we’re disappointed it has not been accepted”.
“We will continue to work with ASMS towards agreeing a settlement and to see if the strike can be averted.
At the moment, a full-time senior medical officer (SMO) earnt an average salary of $238,500, according to Te Whatu Ora. That rose to an average of $318,000 when payments for shift-work, on-call and superannuation was added.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Te Whatu Ora Chief People officer Andrew Slater says the organisation is working with the union on contingency planning.
“The current offer would, by 1 April 2024, see all our senior doctors receive a further pay increase of between $15,000 to $26,000, in addition to a further lump sum payment of around $4000,” Slater said.
It also includes agreement to work with the union on a strategy to create visible and equitable pay and conditions for SMOs, Slater said.
However, Dalton said the offer was still “a real terms pay cut” as it fell below the rate of inflation.
This follows two years of real pay cuts under the Government’s “public sector pay guidance”, amounting to a real-terms pay cut of 11%, Dalton said.
LAWRENCE SMITH
Dr Julian Vyas, president of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, says the health system has taken the collective goodwill of doctors for granted.
ASMS President Dr Julian Vyas, also a respiratory paediatrician, said the health system had taken the collective goodwill of doctors for granted.
“At the same time, the system has ignored our concerns about short staffing restricting patient access to care and causing us overwork and burnout.
“For years and years, those in charge have failed to address the critical shortage of senior dentists and doctors, and simply expected us to keep putting up with it all this. And now, on top of everything else, we are being asked to swallow another real-terms pay cut.”
“No more. Many of our colleagues have indicated they have had enough and are looking to leave the public health system either for overseas postings or to the private sector.
“If there is no end in sight, even more specialists are likely to leave,” Vyas said.
The strike is understood to be the first time senior doctors have withdrawn their labour nationwide.
BRUCE MACKAY/The Post
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he doesn’t want to see any of the medical workforce on strike.
PM urges doctors to return to bargaining
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was challenged at his Monday post-Cabinet news conference on the pay agreements the Government had made, with senior doctors clearly unhappy. He repeatedly urged the union to return to the negotiating table with Te Whatu Ora.
“Our track record speaks for itself. We’ve invested significantly in our doctors and our nurses. They’ve seen significant pay increases during the time that we’ve been in Government…
“We do value the work that our senior doctors do. The best way to resolve the issues that they’re raising is to get back around the bargaining table.”
Asked his thoughts on whether the pay dispute may be resolved before the election on October 14, Hipkins said: “I live in hope.”
Hipkins said he did not want to see any of the medical workforce on strike but “focused on delivering health care for New Zealanders”.
“That’s why we’ll get around the bargaining table with them in good faith in order to try and resolve any issues that they might be raising.”
Slater said Te Whatu Ora was working with ASMS to ensure life preserving services were in place if the strikes went ahead.
“Information will be provided in advance to patients whose planned care may be impacted and the public will also be kept informed of how the industrial action may affect other services.”
[ad_2]