“Senior Doctors Negotiations Resume: Focus On The Nitty-Gritty”
“The national collective agreement negotiations for senior doctors employed by district health boards have now resumed
and are focusing on nitty-gritty issues,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical
Specialists, today. Negotiations in the presence of a mediator resumed on 12-13 February. They will continue on 26-27
February.
“The resumed negotiations followed the overwhelming 84% rejection of an earlier proposal from district health boards.”
“The focus of the negotiations is now on the fundamentals. Despite the differences between us and while we remain
critical of the restrictive financial limits district health board bosses have imposed on the negotiations, we are
pleased that both negotiating teams are focussing on key issues and endeavouring to explore constructive compromises.”
“The critical challenge is to negotiate a new national collective agreement whose terms and conditions are an effective
recruitment and retention device to help cope with New Zealand’s serious doctor shortages.”
“The terms and conditions need to be enough to encourage senior doctors in all district health boards to vote in favour
of acceptance,” concluded Mr Powell.
Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR