Junior doctors threaten strike

File photo / NZ Herald

Junior doctors will probably strike if district health boards (DHBs) do not meet their offer of a 1 per cent pay rise, their union says.

A scheduled second day of talks with DHBs over an updated employment contract did not go ahead today after little progress was made in yesterday's negotiations, Resident Doctors Association (RDA) president Curtis James Walker said.

Northland DHB chief executive Karen Roach, who is representing DHBs in negotiations, said they had put forward an offer which involved significant changes to the contract and offered flexibility around rosters and working hours.

Dr Walker said junior doctors would not accept the offer and had instead offered to continue their current contract, with no improvements to conditions, but a 1 per cent pay increase.

"We view their offer as some vicious cutbacks to our terms and conditions which already aren't retaining doctors," he said.

Junior doctors had already completed a ballot on whether to take strike action, but Dr Walker said he could not release the results as they were in the process of informing members.

Ms Roach said DHBs were yet to receive the RDA's counter-offer in writing.

DHBs had been ready to commence negotiations today but were told by the mediator that the RDA would not be turning up, she said.

Further negotiations were set down for September 28-29.

- NZPA