News and notices Pānui

Settlement talks scheduled as strikes called off

04 March 2022

Pay settlement negotiations are planned for next week as a court ruling ensures two periods of industrial action will no longer go ahead.

A ruling from the Employment Court on Thursday 3 March has prevented two 24-hour strikes by the Public Services Association (PSA) union from taking place.

Judge Bruce Corkill’s judgment stated:

"The Court's formal order is accordingly that an interim injunction is issued restraining the defendant's notified strike action for 4–5 March 2022; and a quia timet injunction is issued restraining the anticipated strike action of the defendant's members on 18–19 March 2022.”

The ruling means that, as things stand, no future strike action is scheduled.

Facilitated negotiations will now take place between the PSA and the DHBs on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 March in an effort to reach a settlement. BOPDHB Executive Director Allied Health, Scientific & Technical and Contingency Planner Sarah Mitchell said she hoped an agreement could be reached.

“We are hoping that the PSA and the national DHB bargaining teams can have successful talks on Monday and Tuesday and negotiate a settlement that is acceptable to PSA staff,” she said.

The proposed strike action was to relate to those staff employed under the Allied, Public Health and Technical MECA (multi-employer collective agreement) only.

The BOPDHB accepts the right of individuals and organisations to take industrial action.