Hospital strikers harden resolve

By MATHEW DEARNALEY industrial reporter

Food staff and orderlies at four Auckland hospitals have vowed to keep striking today, fired up by a nurses' pay settlement that leaves them in the financial shade.

The 230 workers began a 48-hour strike yesterday against a 2 per cent pay rise offer, and have voted for a further three-day walkout unless the Auckland District Health Board hands over more money.

The Nurses Organisation says most of its more than 4500 members in the region's three health districts will receive rises totalling 9 per cent over 2 3/4 years, although the Auckland board talks of an average annual rise of 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent.

Managers faced yesterday with striking service workers rolled up their sleeves to move patients around wards and to deliver boxed food to bedsides. Nurse aides took over in operating theatres after receiving "crash courses" in orderlies' duties.

All non-emergency operations have been cancelled at Auckland Hospital until tomorrow, although elective surgery continues at Green Lane, National Women's and Starship Children's hospital.

Patients seemed to have few grumbles about food, which was dominated by salads and fruit, although injured Manurewa water-blaster Dan Morunga said cheese and crackers and egg sandwiches were not nearly enough to fill his 1.95m and 135kg frame.

"I rang my missus up to bring in some KFC or McDonald's."

Another patient mentioned a long wait for a radiography scan amid what she said were "disorderly" scenes in the absence of orderlies, but others reported little disruption.

Picketing workers moved away from an oral surgery clinic at Green Lane after a dentist complained of being distracted from a delicate operation.

The strike coincided with the settlement of a multi-employer collective agreement for nurses and midwives across the Auckland region's three boards.

Nurses Organisation spokesman James Ritchie said most would receive rises totalling 9 per cent over 2 3/4 years, a deal with which he said the union was pleased but that it still fell short of matching skills and responsibilities.

It included a 4 per cent rise backdated to February for most nurses and a further 1 per cent this month for those at grade five and higher on the basic salary scale, to be followed by just over 2 per cent in December and about 1.5 per cent a year later.

Even so, there were widespread pockets of resistance to the deal, which was accepted by just 60 per cent of nurses who cast votes.

Mr Ritchie accused the Auckland district board of being "mean-spirited" in offering even less to already lower-paid orderlies and food workers.

Service and Food Workers' Union organiser Paul McFarland said his members did not begrudge nurses their increases, but were determined not to accept a below-inflation offer of 2 per cent now and 2 per cent next year.

"Nurses do a tough job but our members also do very important work," he said.

He acknowledged that a difference of just $65,000 between the offer and a 3 per cent claim would soon be eaten away by wage deductions for strikes.

But he said proper recognition was about more than just money.

Board chief executive Graeme Edmond defended the offer as fair and realistic against a need to keep overall cost rises to 2 per cent while the board was under Government orders to slice $25 million off an $85 million deficit.

He denied there was much difference between offers to the respective groups of workers.

He said senior staff such as charge nurses were receiving a rise of just 1.7 per cent and a $1000 one-off payment in the first year.