Kia ora koutou Since last year there has been very little progress in our negotiations, but 2022 offers some new opportunities and tactics to achieve the settlement we need. Challenging the Government’s Pay GuidelinesDHBs continue to insist that SMOs take a real pay cut. This demonstrates a total disconnect with the reality of your work and a disregard for your professionalism. It shows disdain for the risks you take every day, for your patients and for the public good. It is basically an insult. We are not the only health workforce in this situation. You will be aware that PSA and APEX are also having similar difficulties in their bargaining. Allied health workers (PSA) and medical physicists (APEX) have both given notice of industrial action. We have raised our concerns about the DHBs' bargaining approach directly with the Government - both the dogmatic reliance on the increasingly obsolete Government Pay Guidelines and the DHBs' mantra that all health workers are required to experience a “year of pain”. In the last few weeks, we have met with Health Minister Andrew Little, the Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, and officials from both the Ministry and the Health Transition Unit. There are clear indications that the Government Pay Guidelines have fallen into disfavour, with current economic indicators and inflation running at 5.9% rendering them perverse and unfit for purpose. Senior Government figures are no longer promoting them. Next StepsWe are now applying to the Employment Relations Authority for urgent Facilitated Bargaining. This is a process set out in legislation by which the Authority attempts to assist the parties and will result in a recommendation to the parties on how our pay dispute can be resolved. More information about Facilitated Bargaining can be found here. Industrial ActionOther health unions are initiating industrial action out of frustration with the DHBs approach to their bargaining. Industrial action continues to be a possibility for us. We have not ruled it out and continue to invite feedback from members as to what you would be prepared to do. What You Can Do NowTo reach a successful MECA outcome, we need to challenge the Government’s position with regard to public sector pay restraint policy, or at least the DHBs’ interpretation of it. We are telling the Government that the DHBs’ approach is unreasonable. But they also need to hear this message directly from you. So, as well as corresponding with us, right now we are encouraging all members to write to two people:
Whomever you write to, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:
This activity is to encourage people with influence over the DHB negotiating team – the Minister and the CEs of the DHBs – to allow or instruct the negotiation team to change their current position. Cumulatively we can build pressure. In the Media In case you missed it, ASMS has been in the media extensively already in the New Year, using the media focus around COVID to drive home the point that our members are doing it tough, and the Government needs to listen to that and invest properly in the health workforce. Here's a small sample.
We are making progress so, again, thank you for your continued commitment to settling this MECA. Ngā mihi Sarah Dalton |