Crest Hospital staff, who are members of NZNO, will strike tomorrow (Tuesday, 2 December) over the employer’s refusal to allow lower paid workers to join their collective.
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) delegate and nurse Susan Norma White says that while she’s been offered a less than the cost-of-living increase, that’s not why she’s striking.
"Until now, I’ve never felt the need to strike in my 51 years as a nurse. But Crest is blocking my lower-paid colleagues from joining our collective and wants to keep paying them less than public hospitals.
"I think the public will be surprised to hear private hospitals pay some staff less than public hospitals do.
"It should concern everyone that Te Whatu Ora MidCentral is outsourcing to a private hospital paying up to $7 an hour less than they’re offering their own staff."
NZNO delegate and orderly Vicki Woodfield says all staff matter, whether they are an anaesthetic technician, nurse, sterile science technician, or administrator.
"Crest won't let orderlies join the collective to have a say over our pay and conditions but wants us to accept up to $5.60 an hour less than public hospitals.
"The company is only offering us a living wage on the condition we agree not to join the collective and meet some performance criteria."
Woodfield says staff are particularly upset anaesthetic technicians have been told they can join the collective only if union members agree administrators, orderlies and theatre aids are not.
The strike will start at 2pm at 21 Carroll Street, Palmerston North, with staff marching to the corner of Grey and Carroll streets before finishing at 4pm.
Mediation between Crest and NZNO is scheduled for this Wednesday (3 December).
NZNO will hold a second short strike next Friday (12 December).
BACKGROUND for editors
- Crest Hospital is a joint venture between Southern Cross Healthcare and a group of local surgeons and medical specialists.
- Crest is a small private hospital formed in 2013 from the merger of Aorangi Private Hospital, built in 1935, and Northcote Hospital, built in 1904.
- This is the first strike in the company's 121-year history.