INDEPENDENT NEWS

Service Workers Take to the Streets

Published: Thu 14 Dec 2006 09:28 AM
Service Workers Take to the Streets
Hundreds and hundreds of service workers took to the streets today to highlight District Health Boards (DHB's) refusal to negotiate a single collective employment agreement (MECA) for them.
Their 90 minute strike action was to protest their appalling low wages (some as low as the minimum wage) and the unfair and inconsistent way they have been treated by the DHB's and contract companies. DHB's have negotiated MECA's for all their other health staff, but won't for service workers.
The industrial action today was designed not to impact on patients, but to raise community awareness and seek the community's support to get the DHB's to treat their low paid service staff with respect, fairness and consistency.
With that in mind we are asking the public to ring or write to their DHB CEO to tell them to be fair to their service staff and negotiate a MECA. This way we can all avoid further escalating industrial action in the New Year.
Ends

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