PSA PRESS RELEASE
Attention: Health/industrial reporters
March 8, 2004
Sunshine Salary Offer Rejected
PSA Mental Health workers at Nelson Marlborough District Health Board have voted unanimously to go on strike following a
salary offer that was thousands of dollars below that paid to staff both within NMDHB and across the wider Health
sector, PSA organiser Mike Cunliffe said today.
Mike Cunliffe said it was widely understood by the community that the Top of the South is one of the highest cost areas
in the country. NMDHB senior management must accept that low sunshine salaries are not sufficient, in terms of the
necessary ratios and recruitment, to maintain a quality health service.
“PSA members felt a sense of betrayal and anger after four-month long negotiations during which the DHB had supplied
information that longstanding issues relating to salary and conditions were going to be addressed. Staff have made every
effort to progress negotiations but, in response, have been treated with contempt.”
Mike Cunliffe said over 75 mental health professionals will go on strike. This will affect all Adult Acute admissions,
Emergency Psychiatric Services, and Residential Services as well as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
He said the staff were left with no choice but to take industrial action to get fair and reasonable salary terms and
conditions.
ENDS