Canterbury health strike notice 'devastating'

Canterbury nurses and other health workers plan to strike for up to eight days next month in industrial action that could bring the region's hospitals to a standstill.

In Christchurch yesterday, unions representing 3200 health workers served the Canterbury District Health Board with notice that its members intended striking over an eight-day period starting from January 30.

The strikes will last 24 hours, and unions will notifying the board the day before if they intend to proceed with the next day's planned walkout.

Union members also told the board yesterday that they would strike immediately if it went ahead with threats to suspend the 40 National Union of Public Employees nurses who were working in empty wards at Hillmorton Hospital.

The unions also issued a transfer ban and renewed an existing overtime ban.

Board chief executive Jean O'Callaghan said the planned strikes were devastating news.

It was too early to give details of how the hospital would cope as contingency planning was only in its early stages.

Emergency department specialist David Richards said doctors who had worked overtime during the last (December) strike would not be so keen to help the board this time.

Nurses' Organisation organiser Chris Wilson said she hoped that talks today between the the board and the unions would resolve the dispute.

- NZPA