Solidarity For Strikers at Oamaru Hospital
The Council of Trade Unions Biennial Conference has unanimously passed a resolution of support for nurses and
administration workers at Oamaru Hospital striking for pay parity with their South Island counterparts today.
The Conference sent a message of solidarity to New Zealand Nurses Organisation and PSA members at Oamaru.
The nurses and admin workers are striking for three hours today, after a two-hour strike on Monday.
"Further strike action is planned for next week if the dispute is not resolved," said Nurses Organisation CEO Geoff
Annals.
"Other nurses in hospitals funded by the Otago DHB are paid much more. These nurses do the same job as nurses working
close by in Timaru, but are paid much less."
Geoff Annals said there was no dispute about the value of the work done and it was simply an issue of funding.
Nurses and other health workers at Oamaru Hospital began rolling strike action today to match pay rates elsewhere in the
South Island said New Zealand Nurses Organisation CEO Geoff Annals this morning.
Although the hospital is administered by the community it is funded through the Otago District Health Board.
Geoff Annals said NZNO continued to be available to get back to negotiations or mediation to resolve the dispute.
“However, the nurses are determined to achieve parity and are standing strong," he said.