Striking Oceania rest home workers say they will continue the planned series of strike actions next week to support a cost of living claim.
Yesterday, care staff from Atawhai Retirement Village and Rest Home in Taradale, Napier and Dannevirke's Rahiri Rest Home and Village walked off the job at 8.30am for a two-hour strike.
They joined 1500 workers from across New Zealand.
As a group of Atawhai supporters stood outside on Taradale Rd holding placards up with "Oceania! Be fair to those who care" and "On strike for fair pay", passing cars tooted their support.
Several residents joined them. Resident Ethel Armstrong said she was there to champion the cause, because they needed more staff and the workers weren't getting paid enough. "They work hard - they're like a machine, they run here there and everywhere," she said.
"We love them all," added fellow resident Fay Pedersen. "They go out of their way to care for us and make our lives worth living."
Hawke's Bay New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegate Judy Wright, who has worked at Atawhai for 18 years, said it was the first time the Atawhai staff, mostly made up of mums and nanas, had gone on strike. There are about 600 Oceania staff nationwide who earn $13.61 an hour.
"We are just trying to survive in this difficult economic climate. For the women to go on strike means it is major - we are a long way out of our comfort zone," she said. Next Wednesday two shifts at Atawhai and Rahiri will again walk off the job, for four hours from 5am and for two hours later in the afternoon between 4-6pm.
The Oceania Group operate three other lifestyle villages in the Bay: Duart Rest Home in Havelock North and the Eversley Lifestyle Care and Village and Gracelands Lifestyle Care and Village in Hastings. They are taking a softer "community action" approach talking to residents and family about the issues.
The following week a stop-work meeting for all Oceania staff is planned across all five Hawke's Bay resthomes.
The striking workers, who are members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation and the Service and Food Workers Union, provide direct resident care, laundry, cleaning and food services.
Staff want a 3.5 per cent pay rise and assurance staff numbers would be kept at safe levels. Oceania has offered 1 per cent. Service and Food Workers Union Napier organiser Thomas O'Neill said "in the past they have passed on any increases to compensate for inflation, whereas this year they are only passing on some of it," he said.
The company also sought to cut overtime rates, from time and half, to time and a-quarter.
Both unions are confident the public-funded Oceania group are in a good financial position. Mr O'Neill said the employment problems started when the aged-care facilities, previously owned by several not-for-profit religious and welfare groups, were bought by Oceania, which are linked to Australia's profit-making Macquarie Bank.
Oceania Group chief executive Guy Eady did not respond to telephone calls from Hawke's Bay Today.