DHB bosses must rethink industrial strategy

"DHB bosses must use holiday break to rethink THEIR disastrous industrial strategy"

"District health board bosses must use the holiday break to rethink their disastrous industrial strategy," said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

"Last year was the pits for the health workforce. They were confronted with an industrial strategy from their bosses that at various times was adversarial, financially mean-spirited, obsessed with managerial control, and exploitative of more vulnerable employees. While still combative, in varying degrees many in the DHB workforce now feel devalued and marginalised by those wielding power."

"DHBs have adopted a short-sighted approach based on the false belief that once these acrimonious industrial disputes are over, we will all be happy families. But real life is not neatly compartmentalised like this. If it is allowed to continue, this growing tension and bitterness will leave long term legacies of distrust and hostility which can only undermine the effectiveness, efficiency and confidence of the public health system."

"We can't afford another year like last year because the damage to our highly valued and effective public health system will become permanent. DHB bosses must use the opportunity provided by the holiday break to reconsider their disastrous strategy," concluded Mr Powell.

ENDS

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