Christmas Eve strike at five Wellington practices

Christmas Eve strike at five Wellington practices

Doctors at five Wellington practices will strike for a full day tomorrow in the final action in a set of rolling strikes.

Further strikes are likely in the new year because of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira’s continued refusal to allow dentist employees to join the collective agreement, says Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) Senior Industrial Officer Lloyd Woods.

The two dentists’ GP colleagues at Ora Toa Health practices, Cannons Creek, Mungavin, Porirua, Takapuwahia and Poneke, took part in five one-hour stoppages leading up to tomorrow’s full-day strike. Read more about the strike action here: https://www.asms.org.nz/news/asms-news/2018/12/06/gp-strike-to-go-ahead-after-employer-refuses-to-budge/

Mr Woods says the union regrets the impact on patients, but had little choice because of the employers’ refusal to employ dentists on the same basis as GPs, despite them being part of one health care team.

He says the stubbornness of the employer was illustrated by their refusal to budge, even when the GPs offered to accept a lower pay increase than that offered in return for the concession.

ASMS representatives spent time this weekend distributing pamphlets in affected areas to advise people of alternative health care options.

ENDS

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