Shock as CTU's Kelly attacks Junior Doctors

-



Many trade unionists in Aotearoa are shocked at Helen Kelly's attack on the Resident Doctor's Association, where she says that she hopes that strikers "don't give unions a bad name". Socialist Aotearoa would like to extend its solidarity to our hard working junior doctors in their fight for justice, and urges unionists everywhere to send their solidarity to the NZRDA by sending them an email here.


It is a sad day when trade unionists working in our hospitals need to strike under a so called Labour government. It is a sadder day when the supposed voice of trade unionism attacks them for striking. With behaviour like this, it is no wonder that the NZRDA does not affiliate to the Labour party controlled CTU, who would do better supporting workers in struggle than their friends in Government.

- Socialist Aotearoa


From Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 27 April 2008

CTU wades into junior doctors' union over strike

Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly has questioned the Resident Doctors' Association, saying it has a narrow power base under Powell, who focused on industrial negotiations and failed to work with the rest of the health sector, which could avert strike action. Senior doctors are also angry, saying the RDA's strike action "is doing little to defend the important principle of the right to strike".

"There are alternatives to getting workplace issues resolved. [The RDA] is offered one avenue and that's through industrial negotiations," Kelly said.

"I hope it doesn't give unions a bad name. They have the right to strike, but I would like to see them engaged in the broad range of issues that face the health sector and that the other unions are currently trying to resolve."

Powell was contracted by RDA as general secretary soon after starting industrial advocacy firm Contract Negotiation Services more than two decades ago. She was national secretary for the Association of Professional and Executive Employees (Apex), representing radiation therapists, physiotherapists, dental therapists and other health professionals, and executive officer for the New Zealand Medical Laboratory Workers Union.

According to district health board statistics, the three unions make up 7.3% of the DHB workforce but accounted for 89.7% of all DHB industrial action in the 18 months to February 2007.

Junior doctors held a 48-hour strike last week over pay claims, forcing hospitals to cancel surgery and treatment for 8000 patients nationwide. They plan a second 48-hour strike starting May 7, seeking a 40% pay rise over three years.

In June 2006, it staged the first national doctors' strike. The five-day strike over work conditions delayed about 17,000 patients' care.

Kelly said Powell's three unions refused to join the CTU, which had about 40 affiliated unions and a membership of 350,000 workers, covering 90% of the country's union members and included all other key health sector unions.

Powell's unions also refused to join a tripartite health forum, which held regular meetings with representatives from virtually all other health sector unions, the Ministry of Health and DHBs to work towards a better health system.

The RDA focused on industrial matters and lacked wider professional advisers, such as policy analysts, economists, lawyers and advocates.

"They never really formalised themselves into what a modern union is. I think unions generally recognise their duty to participate in social issues and health is a social issue.

"What I think it does is all their issues come onto the table in bargaining."

Kelly said the RDA had a fast turnover of membership as junior doctors progressed through training.

"It puts [Powell] in a very influential position because she's the continuity, she holds the institutional memory. It's not necessarily a well-balanced organisation."

Powell disputes their criticisms and defends the RDA's tactics.

She said the CTU would not know what the RDA did.

"They're coming from a basis of ignorance and I believe it is motivated by political reasons. The CTU is more interested in protecting friends in cabinet."

Meanwhile, the DHBs revealed 90% of the country's locum doctors are district health board staff or former staff, taking annual leave or resigning to treble their pay packets and earn up to $200,000 a year.

Locums have become increasingly common in New Zealand's hospitals and now account for about 8% of the wage bill for junior doctors and cost $23 million of an annual spend of $305m.

According to the DHBs, there were about 200-250 junior doctor vacancies in New Zealand from about 3000 positions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jacinda Ardern’s Resignation Is Anything But Simple - It’s Time For The Left To Organise

-
Image
Interview with Joe Carolan by Jennifer Pannell. The sudden resignation of Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand and Labour Party Leader, on the 19th January this year was a shock to many around the world. She was held up by the global mainstream press as a beacon of strong and empathetic leadership in the face of numerous crises throughout her two terms. In her emotional resignation speech, she gave little hint as to why she was stepping down, stating “having reflected over summer I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. It’s that simple.” ' As a socialist, Joe, what’s your analysis of why Ardern resigned? There is a narrative that as a female Prime Minister, she experienced vicious, relentless trolling - death threats and attacks from a deeply misogynistic far-right led mob, who thought she was a dictator, a tyrant, a Communist. This is similar to the ideology used by the far-right in many other countries; in America, in Ireland, etce
Read more

Commentary fron an American member of Socialist Aotearoa

-
Image
My Two Cents By Laura Hardin As with any presidential election, the American pubic will once again be asked to head to the polls to test which campaign slogans proved more effective. We can either vote for the fairy tale of “hope and change” or we can cast our vote for the “Maverick’s from Main Street.” The McCain/Palin ticket has just recently been trying to lure the middle class with their new Main Street myth, an attempt to portray themselves as sympathizers who understand how this economic crisis is affecting the majority of America. In the Vice Presidential debate last Thursday Palin said that credit markets is where "mainstreeters like me" would feel the effects of the meltdown. And earlier last week, presidential nominee John McCain said of the bailout, “The first thing I’d do is say, ‘Let’s not call it a bailout. Let’s call it a rescue,’ Because it is a rescue. It’s a rescue of Main Street America.” You know what you’ll find on most Main Streets in most American towns
Read more

The Rainbow Rejects the Thin Blue Line

-
Image
While the French are rising up against their government and being confronted with armed police and tanks , Auckland’s queer community are in the midst of a small battle of their own.  Thursday December 6th saw the debate about whether or not to allow an oppressive force to march in full uniform in a parade commemorating the struggles of the queer community against a colonial state reach its zenith. Last month, after multiple opportunities for community consultation , the Board given the task of organising February 2019’s Pride Parade let police know that they are welcome to march alongside the LGBTQ+ community, under the one condition that, if they choose to do so, they are not welcome to wear their uniforms. This kicked off a series of melodramatic but necessary events which have seen the withdrawal of the Police, military, and several major corporate sponsors from the Parade .  For some reason, this is considered controversial. The culmination of this supposed crisis
Read more