Public health workers set to strike

Auckland-based non-nursing or medical staff members of the Public Service Association (PSA) are striking for two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings. File photo

Public health professionals are walking off the job in Auckland this week in protest against what they've described as an over-stretched workforce unable to meet its patients' needs.

Auckland-based non-nursing or medical staff members of the Public Service Association (PSA), including social workers, physiotherapist and other allied health professionals, are striking for two hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

The PSA couldn't confirm how many of its 3000 members would strike but said a number would stay on the job to ensure patient care was not compromised.

Assistant secretary for DHBS Warwick Jones, said the key issue was the funding and staffing levels -especially given the move towards a seven day a week service.

"A plan to stretch staff across seven days when we aren't even funded or staffed for five will put patient care at further risk and push staff to exhaustion," he said. "Tired healthcare workers make more mistakes."

However, the DHBs believed the "crux of the issue" was largely to do with the issue of being paid double-time on weekends.

Currently the PSA members were paid double time for weekend work after midday on Saturday, whereas the majority of the 17 other DHB's employees nation-wide received only time and a half.

The DHBs had offered to protect the status quo for existing staff, so only new staff would be affected by the lower weekend rates.

Spokeswoman for the Auckland DHBs Julie Patterson was disappointed at the strike.

"Essentially the PSA is asking members to go on strike to seek a benefit for people who the DHBs don't currently employ that is out of step with PSA agreements for the rest of the country."

However the PSA claimed lower weekend rates would make it difficult for the DHBs to recruit and retain staff in an already lean workforce.

Just this weekend a Safe Staffing Healthy Workplace report in the Herald on Sunday highlighted frontline workers at ADHB were feeling the pinch of understaffing, high exhaustion and unpaid overtime.

Occupational therapist at Waitemata DHB, Laura Hunter, was one who felt that current workloads were unsustainable and risked early discharge of patients, inadequate follow-up, poor treatment success rates and life-long mental health and physical challenges.

"There's not enough time to do the job...we are constantly cutting corners and putting our clinical practice on the line."

She described fellow staff having lunch at their desks, no afternoon tea or lunch and doing up to 20 hours of overtime each week.

"They are working so hard to the detriment of their health and social life," she said. "People burn out there's a massive turnover."

Strike plan

Tuesday 8 to 10am:

Waitemata DHB staff

Wednesday 8 to 10am:

Auckland DHB staff

Thursday 8 to 10am:

Counties Manukau staff