CTU President Richard Wagstaff has called on Health employers and the Ministry of Health to recognise the value of Allied Health workers and make a serious offer to settle the current industrial dispute.
“Allied health workers have been at the core of our COVID response, and they have patiently waited for 18 months to get a reasonable offer on the expectation that they wouldn’t be penalised for it.
“Their union, the PSA, even agreed to attend facilitation with a neutral facilitator and accept his determination, but still the employers remain defiant and opposed to reaching a deal.”
Richard Wagstaff’s advice to employers was straightforward. “If you want to avoid further damaging industrial action, it’s quite simple – just offer the union the same deal the facilitator proposed – all of it, instead of keeping your head in the sand and undervaluing your staff.”
Richard Wagstaff will be addressing the rally at the Cenotaph in Wellington at midday.