Employment Court ruling stops Northland allied health workers striking

Northland lab technician Steve had hoped today's strike would end more than a decade of low pay and mounting pressures. Photo / NZME

Northland health care workers have been prevented from striking after an Employment Court ruled in favour of District Health Boards.

Around 350 Northland staff were set to picket in Whangārei and Kaitāia today alongside thousands more nationwide as low pay and mounting workload pressure pushes them to breaking point.

The Auckland leg of the 24-hour strike was called off earlier yesterday by the Allied Union as the Omicron outbreak continued to press the city's health system.

However, the union planned to press ahead with the strikes in all other regions.

Until late last night when the Employment Court released its interim decision. The court upheld an injunction against the strike action that was urgently filed by the DHBs on Tuesday.

Union organiser Will Matthews said it is unacceptable that DHBs did not speak with the union about cancelling the strikes and instead went straight to the courts.

Matthews said a short-notice court decision is the last thing underpaid and overworked health staff need.

The union and the DHBs are now set to take part in facilitated negotiations on March 7 and 8.

"We expect the DHBs to do the right thing and come to the table with a decent offer," Matthews said.

"Our members will not forget they have a right to fair pay and equal treatment and are resolute in their goal of reaching a fair deal."

Northland Sterile Sciences technician Steve spoke to the Advocate earlier this week about how his industry was at a breaking point.

He said the low pay and mounting workload pressure was the "worst" he'd seen in his 12-year career.

Steve's hopes for the strikes to achieve a fair and equitable pay outcome for his workforce were now temporarily dashed.

"It's pretty annoying that the DHBs have gone to these lengths to try and stop us from striking when we're well in our rights to strike. We're pretty disappointed by their actions," he said.