Rest-home workers' action spreads

Picture / Richard Robinson

Hundreds of nurses, caregivers and service workers left rest-home residents and aged-care hospital patients with volunteers during a six-hour strike yesterday.

Seven Guardian Healthcare establishments in Auckland and 15 elsewhere were hit by the strike, and more than 100 workers marched up Queen St to a rally in Aotea Square, complaining of poor pay and conditions.

The Nurses Organisation and Service Workers Union, whose demands include a starting rate of $11 an hour and up to $14 for caregivers, threaten to ramp up their campaign with a 24-hour strike next Thursday unless Guardian improves a pay offer.

"This is not an outrageous pay claim for women who work hard," said nurses' spokeswoman Jane Kostanich.

About 170 employees of another aged-care organisation, MacPherson Group, staged a similar six-hour strike on Thursday at rest homes in Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.