OUR VIEW: Strike pain felt most by young and old

The last-minute backdown on plans for 40 medical radiology technicians (MRTs) at Tauranga Hospital to walk off the job and go on strike for 48 hours is to be applauded.
The strike threat came after 14 months of contract negotiations between the Apex union representing the MRTs and district health boards failed to reach an agreement.
The possibility of two days of strike action marked an escalation in the long-running dispute, and while that outcome was avoided this time, it's now become apparent just how badly a resolution suitable to both sides needs to be reached.
Radiographers had earlier walked off the job for 24 hours on September 7, after turning down offers of a 1 per cent pay increase in April, followed by a further 1 per cent last month.
As reported in this newspaper last week, the impact of the ongoing industrial action is now being felt through children being sent home from Tauranga Hospital with undiagnosed broken limbs.
In addition to this, the action has also seen a jump in surgery waiting times, and forced patients to make return trips to hospital for x-rays.
There's an extra level of concern surrounding this industrial action because of the impact on people's health.
A bus drivers' strike would cause serious inconvenience to thousands of people, disrupting their plans and making some late for work.
It's a nuisance, but it pales in comparison to children being sent home with broken limbs.
The ability to strike is enshrined in law, and is an important right for workers.
No one would ever advocate taking this right away, critical as it is to ensuring that workers are not held to ransom by their employers.
But presumably the MRTs have chosen to work in the health profession because they want to make a positive difference to the lives and health of the people they share their community with.
They must be aware that they cannot make this positive difference to others through strike action, and that by striking they are in fact having the opposite effect.
There is also the risk that as more people become aware of the impact industrial action has on health services, the public mood may move away from backing the MRTs and swing in behind the health boards.
It's good to see both sides of this dispute have agreed to return to the negotiating table.
It remains particularly unfair on those most vulnerable in our society - our children and our elderly - that the risk of being unable to access adequate health services because of strike action hangs over their heads.
We call on the MRTs to agree to provide services for the elderly and children - if eventually strike action is unavoidable. The MRTs can still make their point, without endangering the health of those among us who need a properly functioning healthcare system.