Hospital workers protest National’s wage freeze

Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, October 16th, 2009 - 10 comments
Categories: workers' rights - Tags:

Hundreds of hospitals workers from all over the country took protest action against National’s wage freeze today. Here’s a photo from the picket line:

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The workers passed a resolution calling for a 24 hour mass protest stoppage in November involving as many public sector workers as possible.

With Parliamentary Services and the Ministry of Justice already stepping up industrial action we could be seeing the beginnings of a major fightback from public sector workers.

Update: Darien Fenton has more photos over at Red Alert.

10 comments on “Hospital workers protest National’s wage freeze ”

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  1. mike 1
    16 October 2009 at 7:43 pm

    Whats so bad about a pay freeze in a recession? I like many of my private sector workmates have not had a pay increase this year.

    Funny how people just keep their hand out for more regardless of the whats going on around them. 9 years of labour probably has something to do with that

    • IrishBill 1.1
      16 October 2009 at 7:47 pm

      Most of the private sector people I know have had a pay-rise this year. Most of them are union members though. I guess you’re just reaping what you sow there, mike.

      • mike 1.1.1
        16 October 2009 at 8:54 pm

        ah yes the greedy union groupies. We have some of them at our company – they cost their fellow workmates 7 redundancies by not forgoing their raise.

        A sad end for some good workers but they will know not to trust the union in their next job..

        • Tigger 1.1.1.1
          16 October 2009 at 10:22 pm

          So the sole reason jobs were lost because of the union? The only reason was because the union was greedy?

  2. Jasper 2
    16 October 2009 at 9:35 pm

    Mike

    Perhaps those ex workers should be a bit more clued up and join the union. Join the union, keep the job.

    • mike 2.1
      16 October 2009 at 9:40 pm

      Jasper – they were all union members. Don’t think they will be again..

      • IrishBill 2.1.1
        16 October 2009 at 10:08 pm

        I’m guessing lousy management was to blame there mike. In my experience that’s the number one reason behind job losses. In fact when you look at most of the big redundancies over the last year they’ve been the result of management or director failure. Over-leveraging off the back of the “endless” boom more often than not.

  3. John Ryall 3
    17 October 2009 at 3:43 pm

    Mike asks what is so bad about a wage freeze during a recession.

    I think the message that the public hospital orderlies, food service workers and cleaners are giving is that those people such as cabinet ministers, heads of government departments and CEOs of companies that earn squillions of dollars probably can afford to take a wage freeze for the next 10 years.

    However, if you are earning $30,000 or less per year and are already finding it a struggle to exist then a wage freeze is not acceptable.

    While District Health Boards have received a 3.1% government funding increase this year they have told these workers that they are not allowed to negotiate an increase in wage rates this year and this may also apply for the next two years.

    Is it any wonder that these workers are protesting?

  4. Herodotus 4
    17 October 2009 at 5:06 pm

    Why is there no mention from the PSA or any associated site, about the simmering of discontent from NIWA staff. They to are being asked for a wage freeze, yet the CEO has from what I have been told received a substantial increase of >$100k, also is senior staff have also reaped an above CPI adjustments (Slightly understated comment !)

  5. John Ryall 5
    17 October 2009 at 8:32 pm

    Herodotus, look at the PSA National Secretary’s blog (you can get to it through the website or try publicsectoreye.net.

    Richard Wagstaff makes some good points about the double standards (similar to what is applying in NIWA) in the public sector and there is a good comment from a member from Landcare.

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