District Health Boards are pleased the planned RDA strike before Easter has been called off.

Resident Medical Officers who are members of the RDA had planned to strike at the start of the school holidays in the week before Easter but withdrew the strike notice today.

DHB Spokesman Dr Peter Bramley says DHBs are pleased the possibility of disruption to services has been avoided.

“Our priority now remains finding an agreement and settling the underlying dispute so we can all focus on what’s really important – caring for patients.

“It is crucial clinicians can shape rosters with RMOs to meet patient need and provide meaningful training for RMOs in a safe working environment.

“This dispute is fundamentally about control of the work environment. DHBs want to decide those rosters without the ability of RDA national office vetoing what’s been agreed by local teams. No other union in health has that power.”

Dr Bramley says DHBs are committed to safe rosters backed by evidence-based practice. We are committed to the right balance of service provision, training and employee well-being.

“We have mediation scheduled in Auckland tomorrow and we’re also waiting for the Employment Relations Authority to decide if urgent facilitation is needed. We’ll continue working in good faith towards a negotiated solution.

“Hopefully the union and its members will take pause and think about focusing on a solution rather than further strike action,” says Dr Bramley.

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