Clinical Psychologists Rally At Parliament Catch-Up

“Clinical Psychologists working for the Capital Coast and Hutt Valley District Health Boards are rallying today to call on the Labour Government to properly fund their Boards so they can negotiate pay increases in line with Doctors and Nurses who have already obtained deserved and substantial catch-up,” said Nadine Marshall, Secretary of the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) today. She was commenting on a lunchtime rally being held today outside Parliament by Clinical Psychologists in the Capital Coast and Hutt Valley District Health Boards.

“Negotiations have broken down because the Government has given Boards less than 2% to fund salary rises in 2005 when catch-up for groups like Clinical Psychologists require 30%,” said Nadine Marshall. “This places Health Boards in an impossible position as the Government tries to wash its hands of the problem.”

“Clinical Psychologists’ salaries relativity has traditionally been set between those of Doctors and Nurses. A 30% catch up would maintain that relativity (though still 25% below that of Doctors in the Boards.)”

Clinical psychologists among other tasks provide reports for the courts that assess risk of future offending and contribute to judicial decisions about mentally ill offenders,” said Nadine Marshall. “Currently they are working to rule, for example, not attending meetings other than those that relate to their own patients. This will escalate to full strike action if the Government does not deal with the funding issue.”

“The 30% pay increases for Clinical Psychologists needs to be funded upfront by the government,” said Nadine Marshall. “Otherwise the prospect of Clinical Psychologists having to withdraw their labour to persuade the Government to front up with money seems inevitable.”

© Scoop Media